Archive for May, 2011

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Perfect World purchases Cryptic Studios from Atari

Tuesday, May 31st, 2011

Chinese game developer and games operator Perfect World has recently announced the successful acquisition of Los Gatos, California based Cryptic Studios directly from it’s sole owner, Atari, S.A.. As per terms of the agreement, Perfect World will acquire 100% equity interest in Cryptic, to the tune of approximately $50 Million (35 M EU), paid in cash. Naturally, there are a number of contingencies attached to the deal, including working capital and “other” adjustments as provided in the final sale agreement.

“We are very pleased to sign the agreement to acquire Cryptic Studios,” commented Mr. Michael Chi, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Perfect World in a statement. “This strategic acquisition will add attractive game titles to our portfolio, which will help us further penetrate into the U.S. and global online game markets. More importantly, Cryptic Studios’ highly reputable development team and its technology platform will further strengthen our well-established R&D capabilities. We deem this as another noteworthy achievement of our global expansion efforts.”

Agreed. This is a major buy in for Perfect World. Not only do they gain a solid foothold in the North American market, but they do so by purchasing a studio right in the heart of Games Development Central, as well as pick up a number of high profile titles including City of Heroes, City of Villains, Champions Online, and Star Trek Online, to name a few. The company is currently developing Neverwinter Nights, as well as several unannounced projects. Presumably, these “in the works” projects will remain on course, but now have a Perfect World influence as to where and how the game development should progress. The Perfect World/Atari announcement included no information about current and future staffing levels.

“With the acquisition by Perfect World, Cryptic has found a strong platform for continued expansion into free to play business model and growth in the global marketplace,” said Jim Wilson, CEO of Atari in a statement. “The divestiture of Cryptic is in line with Atari’s continued focus on key owned and third-party strategic franchises and expansion into emerging game platforms.”

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Playstation Network begins services in Japan and Asian Region, Network chief Schaff to appear before congress

Monday, May 30th, 2011

Continuing the ongoing saga of what’s now stretching into month number 2, Sony Corporation and Sony Computer Entertainment announced on Friday that Sony Network Entertainment International, began a phased restoration of network services in the Japanese market. Likewise, Sony is flipping the switch for Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand. Presumably meeting Japanese officials concerns, Sony is also rolling out a new identity protection program for both PSN and Qriocity customers.

As part of the “new” rollout, Sony proudly introduced the world to their increased security procedures. Sony says that it’s made “considerable” enhancements to their data security, including updating and adding advanced security technologies, more software monitoring and penetration and vulnerability testing, and rounding out the field with more firewalls and increased encryption.

“I’d also like to send my sincere regret to customers in Japan and Asian countries and regions for the inconvenience these events have caused you,” said Kazuo Hirai, Executive Deputy President, Sony Corporation in a statment. “We are taking aggressive action including increasing security measures and working with respective authorities to address the concerns that were raised by this incident. We are making consumer data protection a full-time, company wide commitment so that our customers can rest assured about enjoying their entertainment.”

On the other side of the Pacific, Sony’s got another fire to put out. Without getting into the “Umm, no thanks,” answer that Sony gave congress when requested to appear before the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade, it would appear that California representative Mary Bono Mack would still like a few more answers.

The Atlantic is reporting that Sony Network chief Tim Schaff will now appear before congress to address these loose ends. Amongst the questions that Schaff is expected to clarify is that nagging one about why Sony waited so long to notify the public about the security breach.

“While Chairman Bono Mack remains critical of Sony’s initial handling of the data breaches, she also is appreciative that the company has now agreed to testify,” subcommittee aide Ken Johnson told The Atlantic. “We expect to introduce that legislation, which will provide new safeguards for American consumers, in the next few weeks.”

While I certainly wouldn’t want to be in Schaff’s, or Sony’s for that matter, shoes, this fiasco could have a light at the end of the tunnel. While Schaff’s getting grilled, it does provide us, and others around the world, with a time to analyze what happened, and how to safeguard against it in the future. Or at least update some systems until the h4x0rs evolve and break down these new layers of defense.

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EVO’s back. Now sporting Android

Thursday, May 26th, 2011

Ah the EVO game console. Remember that interesting little take on “another” type of gaming platform? If not, you wouldn’t be the first, but Envizions did make some considerable waves a few years back when the offered up a Linux based gaming platform, that reportedly “shipped” and then immediately “sold out.” Riiiiiiight. Well it looks like the EVO is showing it’s head again, this time with Android powering the party.

Appropriately titled the EVO 2, Alabama based firm Envisions Computer Entertainment Corporation has recently announced that they’re going to give it a go again, but instead of Linux, eager gamers will find Android under the hood. Envizions is targeting a fall U.S. launch with a select European launch to follow thereafter.

From a hardware POV, the EVO 2 promises a Samsung 1.2 GHz processor, 512 MB of DDR2 RAM, as well as an EVO TV remote, and naturally a game controller. And if the PS3 slim is still shoehorned in/on/above your amp, DVD player, etc., you’ll be happy to know that the EVO offers up big promises in a tiny package, with svelte dimensions of only 17cm x 11 cm x 3 cm (or 6.6 in x 4 in x 1 in). And while this hardware package is nothing truly groundbreaking, Envizions is already looking down the road, and has indicated that they’ll be adding 3D motion sensor capabilities by the end of this year. Assuming that the device actually ships, and doesn’t mysteriously “sell out.”

Running on what Envizions is dubbing a “modified” version of Android 2.2, the EVO 2 will be the first gaming console of it’s kind. Obviously with an Android powered OS, this provides gamers with a real-time gaming playlist, as well as social friends connectivity.

The MSRP of $249 falls right in line with competitors in the marketplace, but can they offer the same bells as whistles as Sony and Microsoft? Probably not, but that’s exactly what Envizions is banking on. By making the console of the “open” variety, I would imagine that Envizions is trying to capture the market that’s tired of “illegally” modding their consoles, only to get the smackdown from “The Man” every time a system update comes along. And this is just fine and dandy with Envizions. Applying the same magic, the EVO 2 is (or will be) the first crowd sourced gaming console. Envizions will let the community in on the overall direction of the console via Twitter and Facebook, as well as the EVO 2 web platform. To be sure, they’re not letting the vast majority of us in on which circuit goes where, but rather, launch location, hardware color, package design, and product image are all up for grabs.

To get the ball rolling in terms of content, Envizions has already posted their SDK, but require an annual fee of $149 for software support. A fair-enough price, provided that the system and company can deliver on their promises. To sweeten the deal, the first 1000 developers that apply for the program, will have their annual fee waved.

“Game development for EVO 2 is cheaper for developers so they have the opportunity to create games on a platform that will increase their return on investment. Developers can also submit pre-existing Android games”, comments Envizions Founder and CEO Derrick Samuels, in a statement.

Again, this isn’t the first time that Envizions has created quite a buzz with their “non-traditional” offerings. I for one, would love to see this become a reality, as market competition only breeds benefits for us, the end consumer. And speaking of alternatives….one has to wonder if the folks at Envizions aren’t already thinking about, or in talks with one of the major cloud based gaming services, as the crossovers are bound to happen. So who’ll grab Envizions first? Gaikai? OnLive? Playcast?

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DeNA head Tomoko Namba steps down, new execs and corporate structure to be installed.

Wednesday, May 25th, 2011

Tokyo, Japan based DeNA Co., Ltd. has recently announced the it’s board of directors have provisionally approved a number of changes within the organization, including replacing the organization’s head, Tomoko Namba. The board approved the appointment of Isao Moriyasu, who currently serves as the company’s General Manager of Social Media Business Head Office and Chief Operating Officer. Moriyasu will replace Namba, who currently serves the role of Representative Director, President and CEO, at the close of DeNA’s 13 annual shareholders meeting which is scheduled for the coming 25th of June, pending another round of votes from the board of directors immediately following the shareholder meeting.

“Isao Moriyasu has led Mobage, our highly successful core business, since its launch in 2006,” said Namba in a statement. “Moriyasu brings both technical insight and business strategy. He’s an accomplished man of action and the best candidate to steer DeNA going forward. I strongly believe he will be able to act quickly and decisively in this rapidly changing industry, to grow our billion-dollar company while making it truly global.”

Citing a family health issue, DeNA reports that Namba will still play a major role in DeNA’s management team, both as an influential member of the board of directors and advisor. Likewise, she’ll continue to be actively involved in internal management counsel and business strategies. Or…to put it another way, Namba’s still on the inside track, but no longer has to show up at the office on a daily basis and deal with the day-to-day operations of a multi-billion dollar company.

Namba has been the driving force behind DeNA, taking the company from start up, providing seven years of consecutive financial growth, ultimately resulting in a successful IPO in 2005.

As Namba will be stepping down from her role at the top, it would appear as though DeNA is also taking the time to cross all the t’s and dot all the I’s before they take the world by storm. Included in the mix-up are Makoto Haruta, who currently serves as Managing Director, GM of E-Commerce and, CFO, will now fill the role of Director and Chairman. Shuhei Kawasaki, current Director and CTO, will now find a new office placard with the title Director, General Manager of Technology on it, and rounding out the changes will see Mitsuhiro Hayashi, current Executive Officer and GM of E-Commerce Strategic Planning Division, E-Commerce Business Head Office, will take on the role of Executive Officer and General Manager of E-Commerce Business Head Office.

Along with the strategic changes and new appointments, it would appear as though DeNA is slimming down, getting leaner and meaner, or at least it seem so based on individuals’ job titles.

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Is gaming the answer to America’s education woes? The Learning Edge thinks so.

Tuesday, May 24th, 2011

Let’s face it – the American education system is in serious trouble. From slashed budgets and rising college and university tuitions to abysmal test scores when compared to nations from around the world, Americans need help. And while the gaming for good movement is afoot, Hamden, Connecticut based The Learning Edge is putting their own offering forward, seeking to engage teens in a learning activity guised as an iOS app.

As any American high school student will tell you, whether you’re college bound of not, the SAT weighs heavy on their minds. For those seeking a higher education, the mighty hurdle that must be leapt is the SAT, or Standardized Aptitude Test. The Learning Edge is seeking to up the collective SAT scores through their SATLadder app. While current SAT study apps currently exist, the SATLadder app seeks to differentiate itself through anonymous online academic competition. These head-to-head matches based on SAT Standards (Critical Reading, Mathematics, Writing) are then ranked amongst their peers, taking full advantage of all the benefits that arrive through competition. The Learning Edge is banking on an already familiar to many, simple game mechanic and premise, to incite students into a study frenzy.

“This app provides students who like the thrill of competition a more dynamic mode of preparation that will make studying fun. The app is quite versatile: students can use it as a quick study tool when they have a few minutes to do a handful of questions, or they can systematically play the game and review the correct answers via the detailed answer explanations that come with the Ladder Edge package on the website,” comments Learning Edge director and founder, as well as game creator, Mark Anestis.

To keep the playing field level, as well offer users the “try before you buy” option, the SATLadder app is available in a lite mode, which gives users access to the solo mode. The solo mode offers students 5 round matches that draw from over 2,000 SAT based questions, and answers are immediately sent to the Learning Edge’s servers for further review on the student’s personalized profile page.

If the value/desire is there, eager learners can pony up to the full version of the app which offers two varieties of the head-to-head mode, friendly matches and more competitive ladder matches. Friendly matches are just as they state, but the Ladder matches tie into the over all leaderboards.

Sadly, Android owners are on the outs, as the SATLadder app by The Learning Edge is an iOS affair only, but interested students, parents, and teachers can find the SATLadder available from the App Store.

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Kung Fu Panda to appear in Zynga’s first CityVille in-game integration

Monday, May 23rd, 2011

Late last week, DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc., Paramount Pictures, and Zynga announced that the lovable Kung Fu Panda will be making an in-game integration appearance in Zynga’s popular CityVille game. The integration will feature a new in-game item and quest for players, ultimately promoting the upcoming opening of Kung Fu Panda 2, which premiers this coming Thursday, May 26th. And while in-game integrations are nothing new for Zynga (Rango – FrontierVille, Megamind, et al.) the Kung Fu Panda integration marks the first in-game appearance of it’s type in Facebook’s largest and most popular application.

“Nearly a third of all Kung Fu Panda fans on Facebook have also played CityVille, so the integration is a natural fit and something we think our players will love,” said Manny Anekal, Global Director of Brand Advertising at Zynga in a statement. “It’s important that we collaborate with innovative brands like DreamWorks Animation that resonate with and are meaningful to our players and enhance their game play.”

Kicking off last Friday, more than 88 million monthly CityVille players now have the option available to drop a Kung Fu Panda 2 inspired drive-in movie theatre in their beloved Facebook based virtual city. Upon placement of the aforementioned drive-in cinema, players will receive one of five collectable pieces. Once users have collected all five of the kung fu inspired pieces, Tigress, Crane, Mantis, Viper and Monkey, an exclusive Po the Panda statue will be unlocked, and is available as a quest completion reward. By doubling the steps needed to achieve the exclusive Panda can be seen as a move from Zynga as a method of further interaction between players and the brand, something both DreamWorks and Paramount are sure to appreciate.

“Our exclusive integration of Kung Fu Panda 2 in Zynga’s CityVille gives millions of players a fun and deeply interactive way of connecting with Po and the Furious Five,” said Jason Alex, Head of Online Marketing at DreamWorks Animation in a statment. “Po journeys on a memorable kung fu quest in the movie and through this online challenge we’re able to reward fans for further engaging with the characters they love.”

Again, as this isn’t a first for Zynga, the Kung Fu Panda 2 in-game integration does have a significant impact on the industry, and is noteworthy. As we’ve seen over the course of time, that “other” form of advertising within video games has gone over like a led balloon. Perhaps is just the delivery method that needed a change? Perhaps it’s the wildly different type of gamer that plays Zynga titles vs. die-hard Xbox 360 Halo players? Either way, Zynga’s found a magic to balance the expectations of both the suits and the market at large. Chances are, DreamWorks has already seen a respectable ROI, as the Kung Fu Panda 2 integration serves as a prime example of the studio’s faith in what Zynga can deliver. And while, for now, this appears to be a one way street, how long can it be until we see a Zynga integration into a DreamWorks picture?

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Phoenix Rising: Hellgate returns as free-to-play… Again.

Friday, May 20th, 2011

Ah Hellgate. You’ve had a long and winding path, and eventually, just like Schwarzenegger, we all knew you’d be back. If you’re not quite familiar with Hellgate’s history, let’s just say it’s been “troubled” at best, which at the end of the day, is/was quite a shame, as the title itself is quite enjoyable, and even through it’s ups and downs, has somehow manage to retain a devoted following, even while the game was offline.

A 90-second recap:

2007 – Hellgate London receives critical acclaim, as eager gamers can’t wait to get their hands on a new offering from former Blizzard employees who’d worked on the Diablo series.

However, that’s about as far as it went, as the game suffered from a number of critical bugs, with fix patches promised, but never released.

2008 – Developer Flagship Studios filed for bankruptcy, and was subsequently never heard from again (for the most part). Publisher Namco Bandai sought to save the title from its ultimate demise, first offering the title as a free-to-play in early January 2009, however the damage was done, the writing on the wall, and players leaving in droves.

What ensued is nothing short of a scene right out of Kramer vs. Kramer (a classic – watch it), with Korean publisher HanbitSoft finally gaining the IP rights to Hellgate: London. Consequently, and perhaps Against All Odds (another classic not to be missed), Hellgate took root and flourished in the South East Asian market.

After a few rounds of He Said, She Said (You see, it always comes back to Kevin Bacon), it looks like the North American market will see the return of Hellgate. T3 entertainment, Redbana and HanbitSoft announced yesterday that Hellgate is coming back with a vengeance, and is slated for a June 3-5th closed beta. As we’ve heard previously, this new (and hopefully improved) version of Hellgate will return as a free-to-play MMO.

So let’s see how this shakes out. I personally played Hellgate a bit back in the day, but eventually ended up with WoW as my personal MMORPG of choice, but that’s not to say that Hellgate wasn’t engaging. In fact, it was exactly this level of engagement, and the lack of developer support that finally made me throw in the towel. If HanbitSoft has learned any lessons from the past, it’s that in order to make a success, consumers must receive ongoing and regular service updates. A bit of a no-brainer, but clearly one that Flagship couldn’t quite get off the ground. And who knows…perhaps Hellgate is one of those titles that was just a bit too ahead of it’s time, and now, with a proper support mechanism in place could give some other competitors in the space (I’m looking at you Nexon) a run for their money. Literally.

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DeNA via ngmoco acquires Euro Mobile studio Rough Cookie

Thursday, May 19th, 2011

Ngmoco has recently announced their successful acquisition of Dutch mobile game studio Rough Cookie. The acquisition further expands ngmoco’s global presence, as well as falling right in line with DeNA’s previously mentioned European expansion plans. Through the acquisition, Rough Cookie firmly plants an ngmoco/DeNA flag on EU soil, as the company prepares for the global launch of their games focused social network, Mobage.

“Rough Cookie’s values and creative capability are a perfect match for ngmoco,” Neil Young, CEO, ngmoco, said in a statement. “We are delighted to formally bring Rough Cookie into our family of companies. At ngmoco, it’s important for us to anchor the Mobage service with great first-party games and Rough Cookie will be a key studio in achieving that goal.”

And while ngmoco has previously favored iOS devices, the acquisition of Rough Cookie will now bring a number of successful Android based titles into the fold. Rough Cookie, founded in 2008 has produced Star Defense for iOS, as well as We Farm and We City, both for Android. You’ll remember that after presenting Star Defense at the WWDC keynote, the title rocketed to success, making it the top-selling App Store game in the summer of 2009. Likewise, the title brought home a Dutch Game Award, as well as making Pocker Gamers’ Top 50 iPhone Developers of the Year for iOS devices.

Likewise, Rough Cookie is a win for DeNA/ngmoco, as the games house has further expanded it’s development focus to include not only iOS and Android devices, but they’re also working on dark horse Windows Phone 7 based titles.

The Rough Cookie acquisition shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, as Young mentions above, as ngmoco and Rough Cookie have a long established track record of collaboration. Rough Cookie was on board for ngmoco’s successful Touch Pets, as well as the music title, Pulse: the Game, and as previously mentioned, We Farm and We City for Android.

“We are very excited to be joining the ngmoco and DeNA family,” says Rouch Cookie co-founder Danny Hoffmann in a statement. “We had great experiences and results on the projects that we have worked on with ngmoco, and we are truly proud to join the leader of mobile entertainment.”

Moving forward, Rough Cookie and ngmoco have stated that the Dutch firm is already hard at work developing an unnamed ngmoco flagship title for the upcoming Mobage global launch. Powered by ngmoco’s ngCore, the upcoming title is slated for both iOS and Android devices at it’s release.

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Nexon announces partnership with 2K Sports to produce Baseball Sim

Wednesday, May 18th, 2011

Leading games producer 2K Sports and free-to-play originator Nexon Corporation have recently announced a partnership agreement that will see the development and publishing of a new online baseball game, produced exclusively for the South Korean market. As both parties have strategic motives, 2K Sports wins with expanding their offerings into the Asian market, while Nexon scores a win with a major developer with a standard of excellence, and a long proven track record of quality gaming.

“Nexon is a pioneer in the online gaming space and its track record of creating quality online titles makes them an ideal partner,” said Christoph Hartmann, president of 2K in a statement. “We view this as a great opportunity to deliver an outstanding simulation game to a population that enjoys online gaming and has a passion for baseball. We look forward to reaching new audiences with our authentic simulation titles.”

Not only will 2K Sports be entering the market with an established partner, but this new development project will serve to further expand and enhance their existing sports lineup. Building upon their NBA 2K and MLB 2K franchises, this new versioning of a baseball title is expected to fall right in line with Nexon’s MO, presumably making the game free-to-play, with the now-standard microtransaction based monetization module.

“This partnership is an opportunity to demonstrate the scope of our development capabilities by creating a new type of online game,” said Min Suh, CEO of Nexon Corporation in a statement. “We’re confident that Visual Concepts’ (a 2K Sports studio) proven success in developing sports simulations coupled with our online gaming expertise will result in a new kind of baseball experience for Korean online gamers.”

And while Nexon has enjoyed tremendous success with their more “traditional” titles such as MapleStory and KartRider, Take-Two Asia president Hubert Larenaudie is quick to point out a market primed for baseball, “As Korea’s number one spectator sport with nearly six million fans in 2010, baseball has a massive untapped audience to whom we believe our game will appeal.”

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Starz roars back onto Facebook with “Camelot: The Game”

Tuesday, May 17th, 2011

Following the success of their first offering, Spartacus: Gods of the Arena, Starz Digital Media has now moved on to chapter two, this time around bringing us a free-to-play, Facebook based title based on their currently running television series, Camelot.

The game is presented in association with international distributor GK-tv, and developed by Starz Digital Media, the digital and on-demand arm of Starz. Camelot: The Game promises to enchant users with a unique gaming challenge that focuses on resource management, in combination with turn based battle, all while playing the role of the Lord of their own hamlet within King Arthur’s domain. Naturally, a healthy dose of quests are tossed in, as well as a wide variety of various specialized soldier and building types that may be used to further ones’ army.

Quests are designed to not only bring the player forward within the game, but to also provide valuable gold for successful completion. With this gold, players may build buildings and provide special upgrades for solider units. And as the game is of the free-to-play variety, naturally players may purchase additional Facebook Credits to speed the upgrading and building process along.

Taking a page from Zynga’s playbook, Starz Digital Media has built in a few recruitment tactics that focus on the viral spread of the title. Players may recruit friends to assist in their quests, as well as inviting friends to join that at the council table, thereby pooling their randomly assigned unique leader traits to form a powerful alliance.

“Fans of social gaming, the ‘Camelot’ original series, and the successful ‘Spartacus’ Facebook game, are sure to love ‘Camelot: The Game,” said Marc DeBevoise, senior vice president, digital media, business development and strategy for Starz Media in a statement. “The action, adventure, and challenge of this game is unmatched in the marketplace today and is a beautiful complement and extension of the Starz Original series.”

Starz Digital Media partnered with 6waves (Ravenwood Fair, Mystery Manor, et. al) for the release of this title. Die hard, and eager fans can check in with Camelot: The Game at apps.facebook.com/camelotgame, and enter the password Merlin for a special sneak-peak preview play.

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