Posts Tagged ‘Facebook’

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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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Earn Facebook Credits by watching in-game video via Sharethrough

Monday, May 9th, 2011

Announced late last week, social video advertising firm Sharethrough has recently engaged in a Facebook Credits program that will allow gamers to earn Facebook Credits for watching sponsored, branded videos within their favorite casual game.  This new offering is part of a much larger test program, investigating ways for Facebook users to earn Credits, which may then in turn be used to purchase premium goods and content within social games and applications.

According to Sharethrough, the new program will see an integration of branded video content directly within titles on Facebook.  Those that choose to click-click and watch one of the aforementioned videos will receive a pre-determined amount of Facebook Credits for their time.  Likewise, Sharethrough points to the direct integration of brand video as a key element to social video advertising, a factor that ultimately drives higher levels of user engagement, as well as the sharing of this brand video content.

“Sharethrough exists to help brands succeed with content, not ads. This program is a huge validation of that vision, as it will create premium opportunities for brand video content to be seen and shared,” said Dan Greenberg, co-founder and CEO of Sharethrough in a statement. “We are thrilled to see Facebook provide game publishers with a powerful new way to monetize their games via Facebook Credits and for the lift that this will bring to the social video advertising industry.”

Up and running since 2008, Sharethrough has already demonstrated the power of in-game social video via top brands including Sony, Xbox, Victoria’s Secret, Nestle, and LEGO.  Their unique offering has been proven to deliver significant increases in overall brand metrics.  One of Sharethrough’s most recent campaigns netted a 108 percent increase in brand awareness, according to metrics firm Vizu.  Building on the power and spread of Facebook, Sharethrough reports that sharing rates for Facebook games are off the charts, some 270 percent higher than in-game advertising on other platforms.

New found monetizer or recycling of a dead horse?  Time will be the judge, but, “Those who do not know history’s mistakes are doomed to repeat them.”  Or not.

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Breakthrough challenges Facebook players to solve real-world issues

Wednesday, April 27th, 2011

Building upon a growing movement in the gaming industry, whereby players are tasked with solving real-world issues in a virtual world environment, global human rights organization Breakthrough is enjoying success with their unique groundbreaking Facebook gaming event, America 2049. The title is now entering it’s 4th week of a 12 week cycle, and counts a healthy 11,000+ players.

“‘America 2049’ resonated with me because I love the idea of people fighting at all costs for their right to pursue the life they choose, without fear of persecution,” said Harold Perrineau in a statment. “I hope the game will inspire young people, especially, to help stop institutionalized hatred and intolerance — today.”

The game/problem solving event revolves around assignments tasked by Jefferson Williams II, as they seek to capture fugitive Ken Asaba. However, this is no regular cloak-and-dagger event, as American 2049 has a vastly different landscape as we know it today . Or is it? Players encounter an America that is fiercely divided by race and ethnicity, not-so-female friendly, and at a loss for self-expression.

“‘America 2049’ is literally a game-changer,” said Breakthrough President & CEO Mallika Dutt in a statement. “It parachutes us into an alternate reality not far from our own, where we must make critical decisions about how we want to define ourselves as a nation. While immersing us in one possible future, it inspires us to recommit to an America built on diversity and human rights.”

And if the, “Now that’s something different, let’s have a look…” format of the game wasn’t enough to pique users’ interest; Breakthrough has scored some top level acting talent. The character of Jefferson Williams II is voiced by Alias actor Victor Garber, while the antagonist Ken Asaba is portrayed by LOST’s Harold Perrineau. Other top shelf talent includes Cherry Jones of 24, Anthony Rapp of Rent, and Margaret Cho of multiple media formats. All talent involved were not paid, and chose to donate their time and talent to the project.

American 2049 creative director and producer Heidi Boisvert comments, “By placing ‘America 2049’ on Facebook, Breakthrough is using one of the web’s most popular cultural platforms to create the possibility of changing culture itself.” Boisvert was joined by award-winning lead writer and co-game designer, Andrea Phillips. This is Boisvert’s second project with Breakthrough, as she’s previously produced ICED: I Can End Deportation, another social change game that dove into controversial U.S. immigration policies, and attracted some 150,000+ users.

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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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Facebook snaps up Snaptu

Wednesday, March 23rd, 2011

Overshadowed by AT&T’s purchase of T-Mobile U.S. over the weekend, it appears as though Facebook has just made another purchase, this time targeting London based Snaptu. The pull? Snaptu has been hard at work developing Java based technology specifically targeted at providing as much smartphone-esque interactivity for non-smartphones. Snaptu is also responsible for a feature-rich, if not 100% complete, Facebook experience on non-iPhone, Android, Blackberry, etc.

Snaptu’s Facebook for Feature Phones currently operates on over 2,500 individual items, obviously something that Facebook felt was enough of a draw to make it their own. Directly from Snaptu:

The Snaptu team is excited to announce today that we recently agreed to be acquired by Facebook. Earlier this year, we announced the launch of a new Facebook mobile application to give people a great mobile experience on a broad range of feature phones. The Facebook for Feature Phones app currently works on more than 2,500 devices.

We soon decided that working as part of the Facebook team offered the best opportunity to keep accelerating the pace of our product development. And joining Facebook means we can make an even bigger impact on the world.

You might remember that Snaptu had recently stuck a deal with Facebook to provide an official Facebook for feature phones application. Clearly, Facebook was impressed. Post deal, pre buy, Snaptu had also struck similar deals with LinkedIn, as well as currently supporting Twitter and Picasa amongst others.

The takeaway here is; if there was ever any doubt about Facebook’s commitment to mobile, the Snaptu acquisition should clearly send warning signs to any would-be competitors. I’ve personally found a number of occasions where I’d check something on my iPhone app, only to have to head to the laptop to fully interact with friends on Facebook. Now, it seems as though Facebook is putting the screws to it when it comes to their mobile strategy. Moreover, with Apple teasing the Lion OS with a number of striking similarities to iOS, the border between mobile and non is rapidly shrinking. Those that are already planning on a strong mobile strategy now will be the future winners. Given the Facebook’s lightning speed, and seemingly endless rollout of features, I wouldn’t be surprised to see a number of Snaptu specific items included in a Facebook app update in the very near future.

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EA fires back with an HTML5 solution of their own – simultaneous launch scheduled for mobile and Facebook

Wednesday, March 23rd, 2011

Hot on the heels of Disney’s announcement of their acquisition of Finnish HTML5 developer Rocket Pack, Inside Mobile Apps is reporting (http://www.insidemobileapps.com/2011/03/05/ea-dragon-age-legends/) that EA has launched their own counteroffer, promising gamers a dual Facebook and Mobile launch, all revolving around an HTML5 version of Dragon Age Legends.

This HTML5 coding arrives via EA’s EA2D, a smaller and younger (more agile?) studio amongst EA’s arsenal, with a specific focus on cross platform games. The title has quietly been in beta since last autumn, and is scheduled to launch congruently with the console and PC version of Dragon Age II, slated for a March 8 launch. And while this is clearly an “around the horn” marketing and launch strategy, EA states that the Facebook and mobile versions of the game are not designed as an upsell mechanism to the $60 console/PC version.

“This is a standalone game. It’s seen as an extension of the franchise, not as a marketing tool for other Dragon Age products,” said spokesperson Cindy Lum via Inside Mobile Apps. “This game is going to have a life of its own.”

I’m inclined to believe Ms. Lum, as all indicators of CEO John Riccitiello’s previous statements about EA’s shift away from traditional boxed games and digging deeper into the digital download, social, and mobile gaming environments.

Instead of the upsell, EA2D is dubbing the two games “companions” to the console and PC titles, as they’re not quite a full tie-in to the main game. Instead, Dragon Age Legends for Facebook and mobile allow gamers to use their “away-from-keyboard” time, as it were, as a time to work on time-based mechanics. These include crafting 2 – 3 hour potions, or collecting the rent, errr…gold from friends. The apps also include a currency balance checker, however gamers may only check their balance, and not make any purchases. Yet.

So there we have it. If you’re looking for the top three games makers to watch over the next 12 – 18 months, I’d keep my eyes on Disney, Zynga, and EA. Disney because of their faster-than-lightning acquisition of Finnish games house Rocket Pack, and their associated HTML5 gaming engine. EA is clearly heading down the cross platform path with EA2D, and I’m fairly certain that Dragon Age Legend is a testing ground for only further HTML5 based developments. And let’s not forget about Zynga’s acquisition of Dextrose AG, a German firm also specializing in HTML5 based gaming. The time, effort, resource and investment savings in cross platform games speak for themselves, but if you needed any more convincing, have a look at what Kim-Mai Cutler has to say (http://www.insidemobileapps.com/2011/02/09/facebook-html5-mobile/) about Facebook’s HTML5 push.

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EA “Passes Go” with free-to-play Monopoly on Facebook

Monday, March 21st, 2011

EA has recently announced the launch of the timeless classic, Monopoly, now in a free-to-play format on Facebook. Titled Monopoly Millionaires, this version of Monopoly is the first free-to-play appearance in the franchises’ history. As with many, if not all, free-to-play social games, Monopoly Millionaires offers participants the opportunity to face off against their friends and family wherever they may be. Naturally, Monopoly is offered under a license from Hasbro.

“EA has enjoyed a very successful relationship with Hasbro over the last three years and we’re excited to introduce the beloved MONOPOLY brand to the Facebook community,” says Chip Lange, senior vice president and general manager of the Hasbro Division at Electronic Arts. “We strive to continually re-imagine Hasbro brands digitally in creative ways and MONOPOLY Millionaires is no exception. We’re bringing the world’s favorite game brand into the new era of social gaming, offering an accessible and enjoyable experience for Facebook users worldwide.”

According to EA, Monopoly Millionaires is an entirely new way of looking at Monopoly, particularly in the digital realm. A long time Monopoly digital developer, EA builds on this expertise to present a unique integration of social gameplay features. Their goal is nothing short of revolutionizing the way social games are played on Facebook.

“MONOPOLY has always been a social game that’s made better by the friends you play with,” said Katie Mitic, director of platform and mobile marketing at Facebook. “With MONOPOLY Millionaires, EA and Hasbro are bringing this global game brand to a growing online audience of people who play games with their friends on Facebook. MONOPOLY is a great example of the legacy that can be created when games are built to be social from day one.”

And while EA is out to, literally, change the game, fans of the classic will find themselves immediately within familiar surroundings. The classic Monopoly board is present, as are the traditional methods of building house and hotels, and die rolling to move game pieces. However, this is where the traditional gameplay ends, as EA has specifically designed the game to encourage players to interact with, and play against their friends. The mechanic is based on a familiar theme, the more players you play against, the more boards you have to visit, the greater your chances of success. If this sounds familiar, think about the way(s) Zynga encourages players to interact with each other…ultimately contributing to the “stickiness” factor. Even though players are encouraged to accumulate mass numbers, EA is still incorporating speed and quick-in-quick-out play, as players may roll the dice consecutively, and not have to wait for friends to finish their turns.

Monetization of this free-to-play classic arrives via game board customizations, allowing players to decorate their play surface. Presumably, EA will roll out additional customizations, i.e. for purchase game pieces, etc.
“MONOPOLY has entertained millions of families around the globe for decades,” said Mark Blecher, senior vice president and general manager of digital gaming and media at Hasbro. “With this first time addition of a social gaming version for Facebook, it’s great to know there will always be a friend or family member who’ll be ready to roll the dice any time of the day or night to experience the fun of MONOPOLY Millionaires.”

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MyYearbook launches new social gaming features

Monday, January 31st, 2011

Clearly taking queues from what “The” social network has done in the past, but also trying to improve upon the system, social networking site myYearbook has recently announced the addition of a new social gaming system to the platform. Titled “myYearbook Live,” the service is now available to the platform’s 25 million members. The secret in the myYearbook sauce relies on the system’s tech, which offers users the opportunity to find other games hungry users on the site and filter by age, gender, and location, as well as the ability to play synchronous, multi-player games with video chat.

“myYearbook Live brings the visceral social interaction you get with a real-life board game or card game to the web,” said Catherine Cook, founder of myYearbook in a statement. “We started from the premise that WHO you play is as important as WHAT you play. In the last five years, we’ve never seen more positive feedback on a new product launch than this one.”

And while the offerings aren’t exactly bountiful at this point, everyone’s got to start somewhere right? To this end, myYearbook Live isn’t opening it’s doors without a title or two that’s sure to grab users’ interest. From the get-go, myYearbook users will have access to OMGPOP, Viximo, and Heyzap titles, with more developer deals in the works. myYearbook is also reporting that Come2Play has already signed on to develop content for the site, and currently features popular titles Nine Ball and Coiny Coins. They’ve also tapped Lexulous, the multi-player crossword puzzle title (and development company name), as well as Absolutist, makers of Bubble Shooter, and Clusterz and Mysteriez. Rounding out the bunch, Geewa’s offerings are on tap, including a number of their board games including Reversi.

The key standout feature here, and one that myYearbook has beat Facebook to, is the real-time video chat. “We are excited to bring Lexulous to myYearbook and enable users to have video chats while playing our game,” comments Jayant Agarwalla, co-founder of Lexulous. “myYearbook’s highly engaged audience is an immense platform to showcase our award-winning word game to a broader market and we’re thrilled about the possibilities.”

The platform released a beta version of the Live service in late 2010, and according to myYearbook, the adoption rates have been off the charts. As we’ve seen female dominance in the social networking scene previously, and myYearbook is reporting the same, with female participation much higher than expected. Likewise, myYearbook is noting considerably longer time spent interacting with other site members, with an average of 20 chats per session over the course of an average 3 minute chat. From the monetization side of the table, myYearbook Live has seen a massive spike in on-platform spending, as users are spending nearly half their Lunch Money (the platform’s proprietary currency) in games each day. Again, see opening statement.

And more on that … myYearbook is taking queues from, but not exactly replicating the Facebook model. The social network has already pushed the boundaries on what to expect from games on similar platforms by adding video. Through this video channel myYearbook will also be monetizing via video advertising. Naturally, they’ve included a healthy mix of virtual goods sales, and VIP Club subscription based memberships.

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Diner Dash: now served up hot and fresh on Facebook

Thursday, January 27th, 2011

One of “the” all-time gaming classics, Diner Dash, has finally made its way to Facebook’s social/casual gaming platform via PlayFirst. As of late yesterday, Diner Dash is up and running, albeit an early beta version, on the world’s most popular social network.

Not much can be said about Diner Dash that hasn’t already been said, but if you’re new to the scene, or perhaps a bit young to remember Diner Dash, at it’s heart, it’s a time management game, with the ultimate goal of keeping patrons happy. Over it’s history, Diner Dash has been downloaded over half a billion times, thus making it the seventh most popular game of all time.

“Diner Dash is the first Facebook game to embed robust time management gameplay in a truly social environment,” said Eric Hartness, Vice President and General Manger of Social Games at PlayFirst in a press statment. “We’ve taken the addictive gameplay that has made Diner Dash so popular on PC, Macs and iOS mobile devices and accented it with a rich ensemble cast and narrative elements that bring new depth to the Dash experience. Diner Dash propels restaurant games on Facebook to an entire new level!”

The storyline revolves around head waitress Flo’s fight to not only keep her Diner patrons’ bellies full, but also putting a stop to Mr. Big’s treatment of the local park. His incessant dumping of broken down bulldozers, construction cones, flat tires, oil spills, etc. are keeping paying customers away from visiting Flo’s (and Darla’s) diner(s). Flo puts the screws to Mr. Big by using her tip money to restore the park to it’s former glory, with the hopes of bringing more and more customers into the diner, so that Flo can make more tips, to beautify the park, so more customers come…an so on.

“We’ve brought together all the compelling Diner Dash elements that have made it the number one time management franchise and married that to the social experience of Facebook,” said Mari Baker, CEO of PlayFirst. “Diner Dash on Facebook points the way forward to a new class of time management game while retaining the authentic Dash gameplay that made the series so popular.”

One of the strongest elements of Diner Dash is it’s time management based gameplay. As a stand alone game, this secret sauce was clearly a hit with gamers, and now given the typical Facebook gameplay time format, i.e. usually quick in, play, and quick out, if done right, PlayFirst could have a major hit on their hands. While most of Facebook’s top games are usually new skins of some classic gaming formulas, PlayFirst is skipping one step, and offering gamers the same old classic format they’ve most probably grown up playing.

Available now on Facebook, PlayFirst promises activities and surprises in store for Flo over the next few weeks and months. They’re not revealing the entire game roadmap, but first on tap include restaurant star ratings, restaurant upgrades (presumably available for purchase through a microtransaction mechanism), decorations, and what PlayFirst is calling “others.”

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Goldman Sachs says no way José to U.S. investment in Facebook

Tuesday, January 18th, 2011

U.S. investors who are chomping at the bit to get in on Goldman’s “preferred investor” program with Facebook appear to be left out in the cold. According to the Goldman Sachs Group Inc., heavy media attention around the offering may put the deal in violation of U.S. securities laws.

Obviously, this wasn’t the exact outcome that Goldman had envisioned when the investment/preliminary interest plan was revealed a few weeks back. Apparently, the news sent competing Wall Street firms into a tailspin trying to tee up similar deals in other hot internet properties. According to the New York Times, Facebook execs also aren’t too happy about the media attention, thus forcing a restructuring of the deal in the 11th hour. Regardless of whether U.S. investors are on board or not, it appears as though $1.5 billion in Facebook shares are on track to be issued to Goldman’s preferred investors.

Since the announcement, Goldman is reporting over $7 billion in orders, or $4 per $1 share offered. Shutting U.S. investors out may not be the worst thing for Facebook, as 70% of Facebook’s user base is located outside the U.S. Hand selected investors were specifically warned not to disclose any details of the deal, including the now-leaked information that Facebook may be going public and/or reporting financials as early as April 2012.

SEC regulation D states that private deals such as Facebook, “cannot be the subject of advertising, general promotional seminars or public meetings in connection with the offering.” Now, there’s not been any “breaking” of these rules, but as Goldman points out, the intense media coverage and speculation surrounding the deal, more or less amount to the same as “promotional seminars” and/or “public meetings”. The fear here is that the SEC will step in and regulate the program, obviously something that all invested parties would rather sideskirt.

Onboard investors have until the end of this week to pay for their Facebook shares, an investment that carries a minimum $2 million price tag, and a requirement that they hold these shares until 2013, a number that lines up nicely with the details regarding a Facebook IPO in early/mid 2012.

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