CasualGames
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Apple TV to play games, too?
Back last September when Apple introduced the "iTV" alongside games for the iPod, we had to wonder to ourselves whether Apple would use iTunes and their new casual games relationships to make the device we now know as the Apple TV something of a competitor for Xbox Live Arcade. While there's no way of knowing whether Apple will again dive into living room gaming (remember the Pippin?) short of swiping their 12-month roadmap, we do find it rather interesting that casual games company PopCap (the studio that supplies titles such as Bejeweled and Zuma oh so many platforms -- including the iPod) might have slipped on some Apple TV plans. Greg Canessa, Xbox Live Arcade executive that recently jumped ship to PopCap, told Wired the following about his new job: "It will be about taking the stable of franchises and games out of PopCap's studio and adapting, customizing it for different platforms -- adding multiplayer, new play modes, HD, customizing the user interface and display for Zune, iPod, Apple TV, Nintendo DS, PSP." You might think that maybe the Apple TV part was an erroneous slip, but he did mention adding HD support, and none of the other subjects for ports he listed play games in HD -- you do the math. What we really want to know, though, is how they plan to get us to game with the impossibly minimal Apple remote bundled with the Apple TV.[Thanks, Joe]
Ritual acquired by MumboJumbo, absolved from SiN
It was announced today that Ritual Entertainment has been acquired by purveyor of casual games, MumboJumbo. The latter company describes the move as "consistent with our strategy to bring high-quality casual game content to the major platforms," citing Ritual's multi-platform development experience as a key advantage in creating a "major industry powerhouse." Interestingly, Ron Dimant started up MumboJumbo only after departing his CEO position at Ritual Entertainment in 2001.GameDaily BIZ delves into some of the repercussions of the purchase, the most obvious of which is Ritual's shift to creating casual and seemingly SiN-free titles. "If there's an opportunity to have them do something on the SiN episodes, we would look at that, but that will not be the focus of the company," explains Mark Cottam, CEO of MumboJumbo. "The combined companies will focus exclusively on casual, unless opportunities present themselves that we think are strategic from a business standpoint." Considering the muted reaction generated by the first (and apparently final) installment of SiN Episodes, continuing the franchise would likely not be considered "strategic" in the slightest. [Thanks Serban.]
Blocking business targets gaming at the workplace
Sophos PLC is in the business of security. For years the company has designed software to protect business networks from viruses and spyware. But a recent survey determined a need to extend security concerns to another productivity inhibitor: games. And so, a January upgrade to Sophos's application will quietly erect a wall, blocking mischievous employees from their secret workplace obsessions, like The Sims 2, Need For Speed Carbon, and Guild Wars: Nightfall.Of course, blocking games does more than just thwart slackerdom, it protects networks against malware (often hidden in game installations); programs that could potentially compromise a business's security. We're all for playing it safe too -- just keep an ear out for big boss as you sneak some Portable Ops in under the desk.[Via VH1 Game Break]
Casual games are serious business
The Associated Press describes the state of casual games, giving an overview of the business side of the industry. The story quotes research group DFC Intelligence, putting the annual revenue of these games at nearly a billion dollars -- and that number doesn't even include casual games on "handheld devices."With all of that money in play, the casual games segment is beginning to look like a microcosm of the whole games industry; even casual games are becoming sequel- and hit-driven titles. The article says PopCap took two-and-a-half years and $700,000 to develop a sequel to Bookworm Adventures, while just a few years ago, three developers could create a game for $100,000 in less than six months.We hope that the casual market balances cash-cow sequels with new game types. We action-puzzle fans can only play Tetris -- or Bookworm Adventures -- so many times.
MumboJumbo brings mass-market games to the PSP [Update 1]
Have you ever played LUXOR? I haven't, but according to Pocket Gamer, over 40 million people have! Yikes! I guess casual gamers really ARE an important demographic for companies to target. Well, it looks like two casual games are coming to hardcore PSP owners: Luxor: Wrath of Set and Platypus. Luxor is one of those marble games, akin to DS's Magnetica. Platypus looks to mesh the shooting action of Gradius with the classic look of Clayfighter.Both games are coming to the US in November for the "mass-market" price of $30.[Update 1: Yes, made a boo-boo on the names. And Platypus is a weird word to spell.]
Women make majority of casual gamers
eMarketer covers two recent studies, saying that casual games make up the most popular genre, and women are the majority of casual gamers. According to a May, 2006 study by AOL, 29% of respondents said that casual games were their favorite genre, with strategy games rating a distant second place at 17%. A survey just released by PopCap says that 76% of casual gamers are female, and 47% are 50-and-older.But marketers can make numbers mean anything; another way to look at the initial survey is to say that 70% of respondents had a favorite other than casual games. (1% said they weren't sure of a favorite.)However you interpret these surveys, we like the idea of games reaching a more diverse audience. Only after that happens can games be as culturally significant as books and movies.[Via: Adrants]
Zidane, Bush and Cheney walk into a videogame...
AddictingGames.com (part of Viacom), just created a newsgames repository for web games based on current news events. Games include the Zidane game we blogged back in June, Cheney's Fury, Bush Backrub and Darfur is Dying. The company expects most of these games to come from users of the site (aka, free labor!), with game developer Persuasive Games filling out the offering where needed. Persuasive Games founder Ian Bogost is characteristically academic (and characteristically right) about the venture: "the news is constantly changing, and games give us a new way to understand current events." This idea ain't new (see The Guardian's The Role of Play from May 2004), but that doesn't mean it's not worth pursuing. Here's to hoping that they'll bring us a mix of goofy content like the Zidane headbutt game in addition to more serious, impactful games like September 12 (from which the post image is taken) or Madrid.
Casual players act hardcore, win loot
Something's perverse about the idea of a casual games tournament, but that's exactly what happened when 71 gamers who don't speak a word of l337 gathered to compete in Bejeweled 2, Solitaire and Zuma. We're having trouble imagining a LAN party without overwhelming BO, shouts of "pwnt!" and at least one Y chromosome for every X, but that's what Fun Technologies claims happened this past weekend in Hollywood, CA. To be serious for just a second: casual games tournaments are nothing new. Scrabble, Chess, Poker and Bridge tournies have been around for many years (in some cases, hundreds of 'em). This may well be the biggest prize awarded in a software-based casual game tournament, though. Professional FPS players the world over can now rest easy. When ya'll are too old and slow for FPS competitions, you won't need to start endorsing Mueslix and Viagra. Instead, prolong your glory days on the casual gaming circuit. [In the image: champion Kavitha Yalavarthi, with her winnings and her fiance.]
Frustrating Flash puzzlers get awards
Casual games site extraordinaire Jay is Games recently finished up its month-long game design competition, picking one winner and two runners-up out of 21 submitted puzzlers. The games lean towards the inscrutable, but they're all incredibly inventive and quick -- perfect for a Friday coffee break full of rampant clicking and trial-and-error logic.
RealArcade head talks casual game growth
You'd think a company that gives away 700,000 game demos a day would be on the forefront of gamers' minds. Yet most hardcore gamers probably don't consider RealArcade when they think of major players in the industry.Casual games site Gamezebo has an interview with RealNetworks Senior VP for Games Michael Schutzler where he talks about the future of the casual games. Among the more interesting points: Research shows casual game players use the games as an "essential part of their sanity management." RealNetworks has developed a super-secret model that can predict how well a new casual game will do in its first week. Schutzler says mobile games won't succeed until they are easier to share and have a real killer app. The full interview has more details on RealArcade's plans for multiplayer, Xbox Live Arcade and in-game advertising.
Brain Training used to defeat dementia
According to a BBC report, Nintendo's hugely popular Brain Training titles are invading Japanese classrooms in an effort to help the older population get their minds in motion and running swiftly from encroaching dementia. How effective Dr. Kawashima's unnervingly polite floating head is at preventing or combating the condition (of which hallucination is a symptom) still hasn't been conclusively established, but for some people, keeping their minds active is enough.After demonstrating how to turn on the Nintendo DS and how to insert a game cartridge, the teacher has his elderly students engage in several different activities, not all of which are limited to Brain Training's repertoire of challenges. A golf game is used to train hand-eye coordination which, thanks to the DS' intuitive control scheme, seems to be quite easy to grasp. "It's not difficult to learn how to play them," says Atsuo Umetsu, one of the teachers. "After all I learnt, so everyone can do it." Though one of the students admits that she joined the class in order to better compete with her gamer sons, most are joining in the hopes of doing everything they can to avoid mental problems in a society where a large percentage of the population is older. Dr. Takao Suzuki, an expert when it comes to elderly affairs, points out that "nobody wants to get dementia so even if there is a very small possibility that it might work, most elderly people will want to do something in order to prevent dementia." And it's not just Nintendo that's reaching out to an older generation -- Namco has set up a day-care center allowing older people to bash drums and clobber cartoon crocodiles to their heart's content. Is this the key to defeating dementia? We don't know, but it sure sounds like fun, doesn't it?[Thanks Jon!]
Online bakery sim heading to PC
Anyone interested in the success of online titles may do well to watch Cake Mania, a downloadable puzzle game set in a bakery. Developer eGames, Inc has partnered with Sandlot Games to bring this online game to retail outlets.Apparently spurred on by its online popularity, the boxed version will feature new levels. Lars Batista of eGames claims that Cake Mania "strikes the perfect balance" between "fun and educational" -- however, we doubt running a bakery is much like the clean-cut cartoony world of this game.
Wanna try a MMO? The first hit's free
We know that MMOs can be a little addictive. So do developers and publishers. That's why some of NCsoft's new offerings are at once a stroke of brilliance and absolutely terrifying. Aimed at new MMO players as well as existing ones, the PlayNC portal invites players to try its games by putting them at an irresistible price -- $0.The money, of course, lies in areas like micropayments -- while a great portion of each game is free, features like new items or character slots will come at a price. Some games may only offer lower-level gameplay for free, meaning that players are enticed into purchasing the game once they have become invested in a character. Two games from the PlayNC portal were playable at E3: Dungeon Runners and Exteel.
First impressions: Lumines for XBLA
Microsoft had a little trouble getting the sound working on their Lumines kiosk, but once they got it up and running, I was immediatley struck not by the gameplay, which is familiar to anyone who played thisTetris-like game on the PSP, but by the Madonna video blaring in the background. That's because skin support for the Xbox Live Arcade version includes the ability to run videos behind the puzzle grid. Interestingly, Microsoft told me they have yet to make a decision as whether we'll be able to use any content for this feature, or if it will only work with specific videos downloaded off XBLM. I'm guessing the latter, because positioning little squares with anime porn running in the background would just be too distracting. Lumines hits XBLA around the holidays.
Mobile market shows signs of stagnation
Mobile gaming research firm M:Metrics has published data showing March 2006 from a mobile gamer's perspective. The firm claims that the mobile market is stagnating; the number of mobile gamers is remaining constant month-on-month with only a tiny fraction of mobile phone users (0.5%) downloading their first game in March.The percentage of phone users who use their handset for downloadable games is low, with the UK standing at 4.7% and the US at 2.7%. Given the millions of mobile phones in the market, that still represents a large number of consumers, many of whom are repeat customers. However, a lack of compelling reasons to buy new titles -- as well as high prices -- are putting consumers off. After all, already-downloaded and preinstalled games fit the interstitial nature of mobile gaming just as well as brand new releases.
Channel 4 offer prize for casual games
Aspiring game developers may want to check out this "Game Guru" competition run by UK's Channel 4. With a gaming rig and £1000 available for the winner, now's as good a time as any to dust off those Flash skills.If you're not based in the UK, you can still enter, but unfortunately you'll be ineligible for the prize. Having your talent showcased like this is a great way to get your skills noticed by people who will pay you money, however.[Thanks, Ham]
Joystiq geeks out with MS Casual Games manager
Joystiq had a chance to interview Chris Early, studio manager for Microsoft Casual Games Group, shortly after the 360's November launch. They just got around to putting the interview up now because... well, because it's really in depth. They talk about the excitement of Geometry Wars, MSN's badges and the 360's achievements, Gauntlet's unlimited quarters, Vista integration, and Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of needs as it relates to player's need states. No, seriously. Maslow. If the Arcade and casual games space interests you in the least, this is a must read interview. Mr. Early is well-spoken, thoughtful, and seriously engaged in this endeavor.
