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Facebook game developers get more options for monetization
Facebook game players will soon encounter more advertising tied to in-game rewards. The social media platform will be giving publishers more options to monetize their mobile games. Developers can now display in-app "rewarded video" ads and advertise their games with previews that play right on News Feed.
Facebook releases cross-platform SDK for Unity titles, looks to boost 3D and mobile gaming
If the folks from Facebook and Unity have their way, you -- and everyone you know -- will be playing mobile 3D titles directly on the social network. The two companies have been working together since March to boost user engagement with games on Facebook, and a cross-platform SDK released today should go a long way toward reaching a broader audience. Available for download via Unity's developer site, the new kit lets devs port their mobile games to Facebook.com and integrate social experiences -- such as posting achievements to your Timeline -- into core titles, regardless of whether gamers are on Android, iOS or the web. And the companies are making this process quite easy for devs; bringing titles to several platforms only requires a line of code. A handful of games, including Cmune's UberStirke, Madfinger's Shadowgun: Deadzone and Nival's King's Bounty: Legions, have already incorporated the new SDK, and Unity is no doubt hoping that other devs will follow suit. This isn't the first time the gaming engine has extended a helping hand to developers -- it's been known to drop licensing fees, for instance. Here's hoping this means a wider selection of Facebook titles is just around the corner.
MMO Family: First Impressions of World of Trinketz
I have to begin this week's column with a disclaimer: I am not a fan of Facebook, and I'm even less a fan of Facebook games. The only one I found enjoyable was Ian Bogost's Cow Clicker because it was a giant middle finger to the bottom-feeding practices so commonly found in Facebook Villes. But when I got a Google alert in my inbox about the world's first family-friendly 3-D MMO for Facebook, I had to head back to the blue-and-white wasteland of Facebook and see it firsthand. Could it be that the era of isometric views and mindless clicking is finally over? Have we finally moved on from agriculturally themed games? I decided to check out World of Trinketz to seek some answers.
The Daily Roundup for 03.29.2013
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Smedley: Social network games not in SOE's future, PlanetSide 2 doing 'very well'
How successful is PlanetSide 2? "I can't give away revenue numbers, but it is doing an order of magnitude greater revenue daily than any of our other titles," SOE president John Smedley tells GamesIndustry.biz. "It is really doing very well." He also hints at SOE's future, which is not likely to include social games or Facebook titles. "I gotta tell you, I'm not a fan of the Facebook game. To me, they're monetization vehicles and not the kind of games I want to play or make. That's just me personally. So we'll stick to what we do best," he says.
Apple breaks ground for new Oregon data center
After spending the last few months putting together the paperwork and plans for its upcoming Oregon-based data center, Apple has finally broken ground on the project. The company will be transforming 160 acres of area near Prineville, Ore., into two big state-of-the-art data centers, and construction has started just recently. The initial cost of development was only $68 million, though as construction and upkeep go on, the expected cost of the structure is expected to run up to nearly a billion dollars. Not that Apple can't afford it -- the data center will help run associated services like iCloud, iTunes and all of the other various moneymakers the company from Cupertino has going. And of course, Apple picked up plenty of tax bonuses for building in Oregon: The local economy is booming, especially since Facebook has built facilities very close by. Presumably, the center should finally be up and running at some point next year.
Facebook backing away from Facebook Credits and adding subscription billing
Facebook may not be your first choice for gaming, but it's impossible to ignore the influence that its games have had on pricing and the social landscape. Starting next month, the development team behind the site is empowering companies to give players a very novel way of paying for items: a recurring subscription for a fixed amount each month, which one might call a "subscription fee." Yes, that's right: Facebook is opening up the option for subscriptions to its games in the hopes of drawing in more money. Subscriptions are already being tested in several games, such as KIXEYE's Backyard Monsters. This coincides with the development team's shift away from Facebook Credits as a universal microtransaction currency for all of the many games floating around, mostly since developers preferred to use in-brand virtual currencies instead. None of this is particularly new to MMO veterans. It's still rather interesting after years of business model changes to see subscriptions being touted as the future of payments. [Thanks to Space Cobra for the tip!]
Game of Thrones Facebook title in the works
HBO's Game of Thrones is getting the online gaming treatment for the second time in the space of a calendar year. First it was Bigpoint's free-to-play browser MMO, and now it's a Facebook game called Game of Thrones Ascent, which is being developed by Disruptor Beam, a social gaming company headed by former GamerDNA CEO Jon Radoff. The company says that players will "lead the life of a noble during the time of upheaval as portrayed in the books and the series thus experiencing a new type of game that unites both story and strategy." Precious little info is given on the title, including a release date, but we'll bring you the latest as it becomes available. [Source: Disruptor Beam press release]
Miracle fundraising finish for Gridiron Heroes' Kickstarter drive
Sports MMOs haven't gotten off the ground as of yet, and whether their lack of mainstream success is due to design challenges or some other factor, they remain obscure oddities for the most part. Somewhat less obscure is Tecmo's 1980s Nintendo series based on the National Football League. The aptly named Tecmo Bowl was a mainstay on Nintendo's first 8-bit console, and now a group of fans have helped assure that Gridiron Heroes, a new Facebook game inspired by the classic series, will in fact be made. Kotaku reports on the last-minute miracle finish to the project's Kickstarter drive, with the development team collecting $7,613 (measured against a goal of $7,500).
SteelWar Online kicks off alpha testing
Are there enough robots in your life? If your answer is "yes," you're most likely not concerned about the alpha testing of SteelWar Online. For those of us who instead welcome our new mechanical overlords, the kickoff of the alpha test is good news, as it means that the game is drawing ever closer to release. And seeing as it's a browser-based game available directly via Facebook, you'll have an easy time if you feel the urge to take part in said testing. Not a big fan of testing free-to-play games? Well, developer PopPace is trying to sweeten the pot slightly. During the alpha test, players will be given the equivalent of $2000 to blow in the game's cash shop, unlocking every option at will. While that's only good for the alpha test, players will receive an extra stash of microtransaction currency once the game goes live, and an extra stipend will be granted to players who find and report bugs. It's just the thing to fill that robot-shaped void in your life. [Source: PopPace press release]
Monster Galaxy Facebook game coming to the big screen
The list of films based on video games is long, if not particularly distinguished. The list is about to get a bit lengthier thanks to an upcoming collaboration between Gaia Interactive and Radar Pictures. The two firms have just released a new press blurb trumpeting the fact that they've formed an alliance to bring Monster Galaxy to the big screen. What the heck is Monster Galaxy, you say? Well, it's a Facebook title that "has reigned as a top 10 game on the platform for six consecutive months," according to the release. The film version of Monster Galaxy will feature its unique "Moga" characters as well as "rich story and charming artwork." Gaia Interactive was founded in 2003 and claims to be one of the world's most active social gaming communities. Radar Pictures is owned by Ted Field, an entertainment executive with producer credits on films including Pitch Black, The Last Samurai, and Jumanji. [Source: Gaia press release]
Zynga reports record revenue in last quarter
A recent SEC filing from Zynga, creator of the social gaming epidemic known as FarmVille, revealed that the company is reporting a record quarterly revenue of over 306 million USD, though -- bizarrely enough -- profits are almost 54 percent lower than they were this time last year. Revenue isn't the only thing that's on the rise, either. The company reports 152 million unique monthly players, compared to the 151 million the company reported in June. The average number of daily players, however, dropped from 59 million to 54 million. At any rate, the company seems to be going strong, with new titles such as the recently announced (supposed MMO) CastleVille just on the horizon.
Facebook changing games service, probably (not) unrelated to Google Plus games
Sean Ryan, Facebook's director of games partnerships, is bringing some big changes to the social network's games service, including individual game recommendations a la Netflix, improving relationships with developers and focusing on quality of games instead of quantity. Game growth has slowed since Facebook got rid of game-notification spamming last year, Ryan said, stagnating at 200 million users, but it remains a focus for the company. Facebook's announcement of coming innovation coincides suspiciously with Google Plus' rollout of its own games service, which is only taking 5 percent commission on its games (compared to Facebook's 30 percent) and has a separate tab for games updates, meaning no wall spam. It should be interesting to see which aspects of each other's services Facebook and Google Plus steal. What won't be interesting is how similar their games sections will be in the end.
Richard Garriott's Portalarium project gets more funding
Portalarium, the social networking startup founded by Richard "Lord British" Garriott, is picking up a bit of momentum thanks to a round of new funding. London-based m8 has contributed an undisclosed amount of capital to Garriott's Austin, Texas studio, which thus far has published two Facebook gambling games (Port Casino Poker and Port Casino Blackjack). Total funding for Portalarium stands at $3.6 million, and the company plans to release CenterPort sometime in 2012. CenterPort is a graphically advanced social networking app that "will be the virtual world social hub for the OpenLife ecosystem, a broad yet fully integrated meta-community," according to the studio's website. Garriott, most famous for the seminal Ultima series (which for MMO gamers peaked with Ultima Online in 1997), launched Portalarium in September 2009.
Facebook game roundup: Games.com Blog's Week in Review
When it comes to Facebook game news, features and tips, Joystiq sister site Games.com - The Blog! has you covered. Whether you're looking for info on the hottest new Facebook game, or you're just curious about your regulars, you'll find it at GDC-TB. Check out our biggest features of the week: Dragon Age Legends: BioWare's epic role-player goes social In order to tide you Dragon Age lovers over until the sequel arrives in March, BioWare plans to release a Facebook game a few months beforehand. Play it to unlock items in Dragon Age 2 and, once again, take on Darkspawn and other creatures you wouldn't want to meet in a dark alley. Or even a brightly lit alley. Mafia Wars Atlantic City swings onto iPhone Mafia Wars Atlantic City arrives on the iPhone, something totally separate from the regular iPhone version of the game. The game runs pretty smoothly, and we hope this serves as a sign that Zynga's getting closer to launching a fully-realized Mafia Wars companion app for iOS. Simply Hospital: The cure for the common Facebook game If you ever played any hospital tycoon game on PC, then this is the Facebook version of that same game. For social gamers who've been inundated with farming and pet simulation games, Simply Hospital makes for a welcome change of pace. Bonus for boys: The nurses have some real eye-popping assets.
Zynga sued over Facebook privacy breaches
Zynga and its stable of Facebook games have never exactly won the hearts of MMO fans, but they've managed to avoid a lawsuit up until now. Unfortunately for them, a class-action lawsuit has been filed today seeking monetary relief for the unwarranted and undesirable release of private information. Filed by Nancy Graf of St. Paul, MN, the suit also seeks an injunction to prevent a similar incident from occurring in the future, in a direct response to Monday's news that several games and applications have been leaking private information. Although Zynga was listed among the companies sending out private information, the company is claiming that the lawsuit is wholly without merit and will be fought accordingly. The full details on the suit are available from Gamasutra, with the security breaches still apparently being labeled as unintentional results as they were on Monday. We'll have more on the story as it develops, although it seems to be a definite black eye for one of the largest social gaming companies on the web.
Acclaim shuts down all games and main site
It looks like Acclaim is going the way of the dinosaur. Things have been increasingly uncertain for Acclaim titles since Playdom acquired Acclaim back in May, and visitors to Acclaim's site yesterday were met with a bare-bones message: "We regret to inform you that all Acclaim games will no longer be in service effective August 26, 2010." Other than a few instructions on refunds for Acclaim coins and an invitation to check out Playdom's Facebook games, the site is blank. The company's former games aren't all completely gone; 9Dragons was recently picked up by GamersFirst, but the publisher itself seems to be gone for good. [Thanks to CowMooFlage for the tip!]
Free for All: Not everyone drinks at the bar
I understand the opinion that all free-to-play games are "not fun," or that they are "nothing but a grind." Even though this is a generalization that is nowhere near the truth, and despite the fact that the giver of these opinions couldn't have played every free-to-play game in existence to base this information on, the idea behind the sentiment is pretty solid: "I do not like free-to-play games." I cannot argue with that, being that it is an opinion. If someone wants to lump games into a category based on "how a developer might make money" then so be it. It is not only my opinion that there is good and bad in every payment model (just check some of the comments section on some of our columns) but that, more-than-likely, the generalizer has probably played only a handful of these games, and filled in the gaps of his opinion with ideals that are closer to racism than actual experience. There are two things that I can present as evidence to a free-to-play game's quality, however. Two things that are so important and yet so basic that no game could live without them. Two things that make up the very foundation that MMORPGs should be built on, so that gameplay and style can be stacked on top.
SOE unveils The Agency Facebook game, announces The Agency will be at E3
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/pc_games/SOE_says_The_Agency_will_be_at_E3_reveals_Facebook_game'; Hey, remember that time Sony Online Entertainment trademarked "The Agency Covert Ops" and we all wondered why? Now we know. It turns out that you're going to be able to play The Agency while you wait for The Agency to launch. No, really. Covert Ops, the newest Facebook app from Sony Online Entertainment, serves as a tie-in to the upcoming secret agent MMO The Agency. Don't dismiss this as another boring mafia-style Facebook grind until you check it out, because our friends at Mashable scored an interview with the developers and Covert Ops goes way beyond "ask everyone on your friends list for two nails and a board." Customization is king here right from the start, offering a unique look from the tattoos on your character to their overall living space.
Offer based incentives added to Nexon games
It's long been a known fact that most "free" services are supported largely by advertising. MMOs, by and large, have stayed away from the advertising model, instead opting for item shops and subscription fees to turn a profit. Nexon America, however, has decided to go in a different direction -- and you can probably guess what it is straight from the introduction. The company, producer of the popular games MapleStory and Mabinogi among others, will be adding offer-based advertising in exchange for item shop cash starting at an undisclosed time. The nature of the offers isn't stated, but it seems poised to run in a similar methodology to Facebook-based games, albeit hopefully without the sometimes rampant scams. No word on whether or not the ads will intrude on gameplay itself, but it seems unlikely -- and at least for now, they simply remain another option on the main site to earn item shop currency without money. Still, it's a notable change in model, and not something that's commonly seen outside of the realm of social gaming. Only time will tell how players will react.
