Now that we know a great deal about Nintendo's upcoming tablet console, Wii U, it's time for some good old speculation. That's about all we can do with the news from Siliconera that the Mario creator has registered trademarks for a number of Wii game brands given the "U" treatment like "Wii Sports U, " "WiiWare U" and 23 more potential projects. Take a look at the list in full:
Wii U + logo
Mii U
Wii Fit U
Wii Sports U
Wii Music U
Wii Party U
Wii Play U
WiiWare U
Wii Balance Board U
Balance Wii Board U
Wii Wheel U
Wii Zapper U
Wii U Fit
Wii U Music
Wii U Party
Wii U Sports
Wii U Play
Wii U Ware
Wii U Balance Board
Balance Wii U Board
Wii U Wheel
Wii U Zapper
Wii Speak U
Wii U Speak
Shield Pose
Alright, so some of these are obvious, not to mention that it's entirely possible that Nintendo simply registered these to avoid other companies hopping on the coattails of its good name. (Though, we're surprised these didn't come about sooner.) However, don't you think Nintendo would be, well, dumb not to release "U" versions of its crazy successful Wii-branded games and controllers? And besides, we've already seen tech demos for a bunch of these trademarks in tandem with the Wii U's 6-inch tablet like the Wii Balance Board and Wii Zapper connected to a Wii U controller.
And that "Shield Pose" trademark was actually the name of one of the demo's Nintendo showed at this year's E3 event. So, there's definitely a possibility that, since Nintendo went so far as to trademark it, that it could be included as a mini game in something like "Wii Play U." But that's all these trademarks are at the moment--possibilities. We know, 2012 cannot come soon enough.
Thứ Ba, 10 tháng 1, 2012
FarmVille Sneak Peek: Tasty Truffle Trees joined by Merens Pony
You know, I think there's a reason why advertisers have fallen in love with FarmVille. After looking at these Truffle Trees in this next Sneak Peek, I (and probably you) just can't help but crave something sweet. There's not much information available on these upcoming fudge-filled pieces of foliage.
However, FarmVille Feed guesses that they'll release with an extension of the Parisian Theme. Like most trees, and this is just a guess, these will probably release through Mystery Seedlings and later into the Market for Farm Cash.
As for this adorable Merens Pony, which will also likely be part of an extension to the Parisian Theme, as these doe-eyed horses reign from the Pyrenees mountains in southern France (and Spain). However, Horses have been released outside of a theme plenty of times, like the random Dartmoor Pony gift many of us received recently. Well, until you can see these items in-game, enjoy the pretty pictures.
However, FarmVille Feed guesses that they'll release with an extension of the Parisian Theme. Like most trees, and this is just a guess, these will probably release through Mystery Seedlings and later into the Market for Farm Cash.
As for this adorable Merens Pony, which will also likely be part of an extension to the Parisian Theme, as these doe-eyed horses reign from the Pyrenees mountains in southern France (and Spain). However, Horses have been released outside of a theme plenty of times, like the random Dartmoor Pony gift many of us received recently. Well, until you can see these items in-game, enjoy the pretty pictures.
Try Fruit Ninja for free on Android before it dices up Facebook
Look, we know Fruit Ninja is coming to Facebook (and Kinect, mind you) soon enough. But if you've yet to try it, do yourself a favor and correct that now. After minutes turned into hours of slicing juicy digital fruit with the tip of my finger on (my friend's) iPad, I can't say I've had a better time with a mobile game. And, for the Android fans out there, you're in the best of luck, as developer Halfbrick announced that Fruit Ninja is available for free on the Android Market. Forever.
Pocket Gamer reports that, like Zynga games Hanging with Friends and Words with Friends, its razor sharp game will now be ad-supported. That means, in lieu of a price tag, Android players can enjoy the game for zilch--but with a dash of adverts. And better yet, the game includes Classic, Zen and Arcade modes. (Well, that's like ... the whole game, right?) Pretty much.
Look, if you haven't downloaded the game after reading two paragraphs on it, there's pretty much no excuse for it. The game just entered its alpha testing phase on Facebook, so you have a while to get addicted adjusted.
Pocket Gamer reports that, like Zynga games Hanging with Friends and Words with Friends, its razor sharp game will now be ad-supported. That means, in lieu of a price tag, Android players can enjoy the game for zilch--but with a dash of adverts. And better yet, the game includes Classic, Zen and Arcade modes. (Well, that's like ... the whole game, right?) Pretty much.
Look, if you haven't downloaded the game after reading two paragraphs on it, there's pretty much no excuse for it. The game just entered its alpha testing phase on Facebook, so you have a while to get addicted adjusted.
Activision actively working on Facebook games, says CEO Bobby Kotick
At the end of June, Activision Blizzard Publishing head Eric Hirshberg gave off the impression that Activision would be focusing on Call of Duty: Elite and Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure as their main casual and social properties, but it turns out that the company's jump into Facebook might actually be coming sooner than we might have originally thought. As reported by Business Insider, Activision CEO Bobby Kotick confirms that "a lot of work is being done on Facebook games" within the company. The delay, he says, was due to the time required to build up a social games division after analyzing the particular kinds of talent needed to develop in the space.
Speaking with Forbes, Kotick explained: "[T]he skills that are required to do social games on a Facebook platform include analytical skills that are different than what we have in our business intelligence unit today. So we've had to go out and find people who have these unique kinds of skills –and there are very few of them that actually have proven their skills. So you have to find people who have the characteristics of being able to develop systems to analyze game play or game behavior."
As for what kind of games the company is currently developing, Kotick didn't say, although he did say that Activision has come to understand that many of the most popular Facebook games are ultimately resource management games, bringing back a genre that was incredibly popular a decade ago. Could this mean that Activision's Facebook games will include some form of resource management? Or, will they pull a 180 and take a risk to develop something never before seen on the platform? As more details of Activision's future social projects come to light, we'll make sure to let you know
Speaking with Forbes, Kotick explained: "[T]he skills that are required to do social games on a Facebook platform include analytical skills that are different than what we have in our business intelligence unit today. So we've had to go out and find people who have these unique kinds of skills –and there are very few of them that actually have proven their skills. So you have to find people who have the characteristics of being able to develop systems to analyze game play or game behavior."
As for what kind of games the company is currently developing, Kotick didn't say, although he did say that Activision has come to understand that many of the most popular Facebook games are ultimately resource management games, bringing back a genre that was incredibly popular a decade ago. Could this mean that Activision's Facebook games will include some form of resource management? Or, will they pull a 180 and take a risk to develop something never before seen on the platform? As more details of Activision's future social projects come to light, we'll make sure to let you know
Thứ Hai, 9 tháng 1, 2012
FarmVille's creator: Making a great game is 'like making a cake'
Wait, so this is the analogy behind making a multi-billion dollar game franchise? When asked what makes a great game by The Times of India during his first visit to the country, FarmVille maker Mark Skaggs said, "Think of it like making a cake. You have to get the right ingredients - in this case the art, the technology, the music and the game play. And like a chef, put it all together in the right way."
Skaggs, who serves as Zynga's head of product, is also credited as the mind behind CityVille. That said, the EA veteran is arguably the driving force behind the two best performing social games of all time. So, the guy has to be onto something, right?
"You need art that makes people feel it's inviting and attractive," Skaggs told Times of India. "Music and audio gives you the sense of space and reality. The game play (the rules of play, why something moves in a particular way, how interactions happen etc) determines whether you have fun playing it or whether you get bored." (So says the man behind the main source of inspiration for designer Ian Bogost's Cow Clicker.)
Skaggs went on to praise India for its talent, revealing that a whopping 200 of Zynga's employees are based in the country. Better yet, the man who birthed the 'Ville franchise said that original, global Zynga games developed in India are coming soon. Let's just hope those developers aren't taking Skaggs's analogy to heart--we already have enough of those games.
Skaggs, who serves as Zynga's head of product, is also credited as the mind behind CityVille. That said, the EA veteran is arguably the driving force behind the two best performing social games of all time. So, the guy has to be onto something, right?
"You need art that makes people feel it's inviting and attractive," Skaggs told Times of India. "Music and audio gives you the sense of space and reality. The game play (the rules of play, why something moves in a particular way, how interactions happen etc) determines whether you have fun playing it or whether you get bored." (So says the man behind the main source of inspiration for designer Ian Bogost's Cow Clicker.)
Skaggs went on to praise India for its talent, revealing that a whopping 200 of Zynga's employees are based in the country. Better yet, the man who birthed the 'Ville franchise said that original, global Zynga games developed in India are coming soon. Let's just hope those developers aren't taking Skaggs's analogy to heart--we already have enough of those games.
Zynga releases screens for Hidden Chronicles, coming soon to Facebook
After announcing the development of Hidden Chronicles back at Zynga Unleashed in October, Zynga has since created a Facebook fan page for the company's upcoming hidden object game on Facebook, and has recently started offering some new screenshots and artwork of the game.
We still don't have a release date for the new game, but we can see that the art is reminiscent of many of the genre's most popular PC download titles; that is, some of the environments look as though they're set in the past, with classic pieces of furniture, as but one example. We can also see some underwater art which is particularly pretty (perhaps we'll go snorkeling, looking for the lost treasure of a pirate ship?), and what looks to be a massive castle or temple reaching up into the sky. Could this mean that the game is setup similarly to Playdom's Gardens of Time, with differently themed areas to travel to across the entire game? Regardless, one thing that should be noted is that it looks like some scenes will be less cluttered than others, as the underwater shot above looks to contain only a few household items, while others in the gallery below have far larger junk piles.
Gallery: Hidden Chronicles Facebook
As for further news, we'll make sure to stay on top of things, and will let you know just as soon as Hidden Chronicles launches on Facebook.
We still don't have a release date for the new game, but we can see that the art is reminiscent of many of the genre's most popular PC download titles; that is, some of the environments look as though they're set in the past, with classic pieces of furniture, as but one example. We can also see some underwater art which is particularly pretty (perhaps we'll go snorkeling, looking for the lost treasure of a pirate ship?), and what looks to be a massive castle or temple reaching up into the sky. Could this mean that the game is setup similarly to Playdom's Gardens of Time, with differently themed areas to travel to across the entire game? Regardless, one thing that should be noted is that it looks like some scenes will be less cluttered than others, as the underwater shot above looks to contain only a few household items, while others in the gallery below have far larger junk piles.
Gallery: Hidden Chronicles Facebook
As for further news, we'll make sure to stay on top of things, and will let you know just as soon as Hidden Chronicles launches on Facebook.
Say 'Happy Holidays' with $50 in digital dragons with Kabam gift cards
What rings in the holidays better than complete online pwnage? Social game domination without the need for a pesky credit card, that's what. Facebook strategy game maker Kabam announced that $25 and $50 gift cards are now available in GameStop and Best Buy locations across the U.S. Of course, players can use these cards to buy in-game boosts for an unfair competitive advantage.
"The introduction of Kabam Game Cards is an important step forward in our continuous search for new and better ways to serve our audience of core gamers," Kabam COO Chris Carvalho said in a release. "The availability of pre-paid Kabam Game Cards at these two leading game retailers validates the rise of hardcore social gaming as a mainstream activity and allows more players to enrich their game experience with powerful in-game items."
By "enrich their game experience" we assume Kabam means "crush their weaker, non-paying foes." But really, the point of the Kabam gift cards is to allow a new portion of social gamers the chance to pay up: those without bank accounts or credit cards. The gift cards are usable through the developer's games hosted on Facebook and Kabam.com, but not Google+.
That said, every Kabam game supports the new gift cards at least somewhere, including the brand new The Godfather: Five Families. Attention stubborn free players: Prepare to have your butt handed to you this winter--Happy Holidays.
"The introduction of Kabam Game Cards is an important step forward in our continuous search for new and better ways to serve our audience of core gamers," Kabam COO Chris Carvalho said in a release. "The availability of pre-paid Kabam Game Cards at these two leading game retailers validates the rise of hardcore social gaming as a mainstream activity and allows more players to enrich their game experience with powerful in-game items."
By "enrich their game experience" we assume Kabam means "crush their weaker, non-paying foes." But really, the point of the Kabam gift cards is to allow a new portion of social gamers the chance to pay up: those without bank accounts or credit cards. The gift cards are usable through the developer's games hosted on Facebook and Kabam.com, but not Google+.
That said, every Kabam game supports the new gift cards at least somewhere, including the brand new The Godfather: Five Families. Attention stubborn free players: Prepare to have your butt handed to you this winter--Happy Holidays.
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