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Best games for safely socializing this holiday season
There are plenty of video games you can enjoy with friends and family without getting too close.
Aim to add up number tiles perfectly with Funb3rs
Hey, look! It's a game with numbers that doesn't build off of the same concepts as Threes and 2048. Funb3rs is a multiplayer title with the objective being to gather all the numbers on the grid that add up to equal the number at the top. Glide your finger along the randomized number tiles to add them together, then use those arithmetic skills you suppressed from elementary school to match the number exactly. Oh, and hurry up, because you're on a time limit. The game is free for iPhone and iPad with in-app purchases. Funb3rs features a square grid of 16 numbers ranging from 1 to 9 in random order. Above that are three important indicators: the time, the goal and your current score. The game gives you two minutes to run through as many number matches as possible to get a high score or beat your opponent. The middle number is the one you're looking to match. For example, if the number is 27, you have to drag your finger across number tiles with a sum of 27. The game isn't picky about how you get there, just as long as you get there. Move your finger up, down, left, right, even diagonally, it doesn't matter. The numbers add up. Just no skipping over any numbers and picking them at random points on the grid. It's in your best interest to sign in with Facebook since this is mainly a multiplayer game. If you have Facebook friends, it's easy to challenge them to a game. Otherwise, select a Funb3rs player at random to play against. The multiplayer mode is asynchronous, so it's one player's two-minute shot at scoring big then the other's, not simultaneous gameplay. I didn't have any friends with this game so I was forced to choose one at random. Unfortunately, after multiple attempts I couldn't get an opponent that was actually playing the game. Every time I matched up with a player, they stayed under the "Waiting" status until I gave up and ditched them. I'm not sure if this is a problem with the game itself or if all the players are just lazy, but something to look into for now. I'm not sure why, but the Funb3rs doesn't choose to advertise the single player mode very much. It does exist and it's rather fun on its own because beating your own high score every time is gratifying enough. This is just called "Training" mode, but the developers should really consider just making this a full-fledged single player option. It's an attractive mode. There's also pass-and-play for playing with friends physically in your presence. That mode, though, is available as an in-app purchase as are many other features. The game includes a few power-ups for doubling your score once during a round and freezing time for a few seconds, but other power-ups come in packs for US$0.99. Pass-and-play, unlimited chatting with friends, ad removal and more are also upgrades for $0.99 each, just to name a few. Looking past the slightly cringeworthy name, Funb3rs is some pretty decent fun with math and numbers. It's not shoving math down your throat but rather embracing it in an entertaining manner. There are some kinks that need working out with multiplayer mode for the time being though. Grab the game free with in-app purchases in the iOS App Store.
Photos to Photos game has a picture to answer any question
What happens when you take the concept of the classic card game Apples to Apples and bring it to the iPhone? Photos to Photos happens. It's a game in which you compete with other random players to answer a question with nothing more than one photo out of the random assortment provided each round. It also integrates with Facebook for private sessions with friends. The game is free with in-app purchases for iPhone. Each round has four players. Unless you chose the private Facebook session, you get matched with three other human beings somewhere on the planet. They can either log in using a Photos to Photos account or a Facebook account, as can you. Photos to Photos grants you one of two roles at a time: a judge or a player. If you're a judge, you get to determine the winner for that round. The criteria for winning is entirely up to you. Most of the time the winner is whoever submits the funniest image in relation to the question, however sometimes it may very well be whichever photo makes the most sense. When all three other players submit their pick, the app lets you browse the selections and deem the champion. Then the gavel gets passed to the next person. While you're a player in the game, you get to choose one of nine photos to submit as an answer to a question. When you use a photo, the other eight stay and the one submitted is replaced with something new. The photos to choose from aren't your own (though they can\ be - more on that later) but instead are pulled at random from the Internet. Every time you're a judge and select a winner, you gain five coins. Every time you're a player and a judge selects you as a winner, you gain 20 coins. This is where in-app currency comes in. Over time, these add up and are exchangeable for a few key tools. Swap a photo for 10 coins per photo, upload and use your own photo for 35 coins per photo or even write a prompt (read: question) for 15 coins per prompt. Note that the swapping photo function didn't always work for me and the write-a-prompt feature oddly says "Enter an adjective" when you should actually write an entire sentence. Kinks aside, they add spice to the game. If you notice you're lacking in coins and want more to spend on the aforementioned features, packs of coins are available as in-app purchases ranging from US$0.99 for 200 to $4.99 for 1,500. I seem to earn plenty of coins after a few rounds, but maybe that's just because I'm so charming and witty. A small warning: don't let your kids play this game. The questions are sometimes a bit adult-themed and while there aren't any explicit photos, occasionally some pop up that are bordering on risqué. Photos to Photos is funny, amusing and social. It's not often you get to laugh while playing an iPhone game, but this one does the trick. As a bonus, you get an ego boost if people repeatedly select your photos as the funniest. If it suits your fancy, download Photos to Photos for free in the App Store.
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Free for All: Five reasons to continue loving MMORPGs
It's been all gloomy around here lately, hasn't it? Well there's a good reason for that, as you might know. Luckily I have survived the cuts that affected much of the AOL Tech network, although that means that Rise and Shiny and MMObility, my two other regular columns, will be consolidated into this one. While it might seem like less work for me, in actuality it means that I have less room to tell you, fair reader, about all of the fantastic MMOs that continue to come out. Yes, I said continue to come out. It's easy to become a Seymour ("I hate my interests!") in these days of non-stop hype, but the truth is that the MMO genre has continuously pumped out content for many, many years and will keep doing so for some time. So to celebrate the fact that three of my columns are now coming to you in one megacolumn, I thought it'd be fun to remind ourselves just why we enjoy this hobby.
Zynga settles data theft suit with former employee
Social game publisher Zynga has settled its lawsuit against former Cityville general manager Alan Patmore over alleged theft of company secrets. The terms of the settlement were not disclosed. Zynga filed the suit in October of last year, accusing Patmore of copying more than 760 files containing "confidential game designs from teams around the company" to his Dropbox account before departing for his current position as the vice president of product at rival online game producer Kixeye. "I accept responsibility for making a serious mistake by copying and taking Zynga confidential information when I resigned from Zynga," Patmore said in a statement today. "I understand the consequences of my actions and I sincerely apologize to Zynga and my former colleagues." TechCrunch reports that the two companies issued a joint statement yesterday: "Zynga Inc. and KIXEYE Inc. have reached a mutually agreeable settlement of their litigation involving Alan Patmore in San Francisco Superior Court."
Namco Bandai opens Vancouver studio to craft social games
A new Namco Bandai studio in Vancouver has opened its doors and will focus on development of social games for mobile and online. The Vancouver office, which Namco chose to open over Montreal and Toronto due to its abundance of digital artists and engineers in the area, currently employs around 30 individuals, the Vancouver Sun reports. Namco Bandai announced intentions to open the new Canadian studio, along with a new SIngapore office, back in April. The Vancouver gaming industry has taken its share of lumps over the last year or so. Ontario and Quebec continue to offer far greater tax breaks to video game companies, while layoffs at EA, Microsoft, Radical and more across 2012 didn't help matters. Still, Vancouver has a vibrant indie scene that continues to soldier on.
GREE lays off 30 from San Francisco offices
Japanese publisher GREE has laid off 30 members of its San Francisco office, according to a report from GamesIndustry International. Anil Dharni, COO of the mobile and social publisher, told GamesIndustry that GREE has recently aligned its US studio "to focus on creating the next generation of mobile social games. This shift in focus has been clearly demonstrated by the success and growth of our games." "As part of ensuring that we are operating as efficiently as possible, we have made the difficult decision to reduce our work force. The employees leaving today have made great contributions to our success and we wish them all the best," he added. We have contacted GREE for confirmation of the layoffs, and will update accordingly.
Rumor: BioWare San Francisco shuts down
According to GamesRadar's unnamed sources, BioWare San Francisco has reportedly been shut down as of today, resulting in the layoffs of 25-30 employees associated with the studio. The studio formerly known as EA2D was responsible for the Dragon Age Legends Facebook game and the browser-based Mirror's Edge 2D. While it was focused on developing mobile and social games, Electronic Arts found that handling development in the area was too expensive and has shut down operations. Our condolences to all those affected by this shutdown.
The Soapbox: What MMOs could learn from social gaming
I mentioned a couple of months ago that social gaming isn't going to destroy MMOs. That's good news for everyone other than Richard Garriott and Zynga stockholders. But I think taking this as a sign that we can ignore social gaming for now and forever as an aberration would be... a mistake, to put it lightly. See, there are things that social games do even better than MMOs tend to. And the hint is right there in the name. No, I'm not implying that these are better games; I'm saying that social games are generally much better about handling the social side of the equation. And the MMO industry as a whole would do well to pick up on the hints. Not everything, of course. We all have recurring nightmares about that one person on Facebook whose timeline is nothing but a series of dubious achievements in social games. But there are a lot of elements scattered throughout the games as a whole that could be oddly useful if taken as a whole.
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.
NBA 2K13 is everywhere in this developer video
This developer video for NBA 2K13 elaborates on the Facebook, Android and iOS apps that expand the game's "My Player" career mode. The initiative, known as NBA 2K Everywhere, allows players to build up their characters' skill ratings through mini-games and unlock collectibles on the go.
EA's Riccitiello on social games: 'Consumers won't pay for crap'
The decline of social games has been "overhyped," Electronic Arts CEO John Riccitiello said at Friday's App Conference in San Jose, California, AllThingsD reported. "Companies that are now suffering will have another day," Riccitiello said.The CEO noted that viral marketing-style messages in social games that spam friends lists with requests don't make for "great gaming," and that "consumers won't pay for crap." Riccitiello had similar comments in May, when he said that "consumers want to be entertained, they don't want to be data managed."
No More Heroes: World Ranker arrives on Android in Japan
No More Heroes: World Ranker was released on Android in Japan today, and is due on iOS soon. World Ranker, which Grasshopper CEO Suda 51 introduced last year as "the social game with the most blood," features touchscreen controls and multiplayer options.Aside from that, World Ranker apparently doesn't veer far from the original game's blueprints. You play an assassin, you kill other assassins, you climb the assassin ranks - you know the drill. The promotional artwork above suggests the game sees some of No More Heroes' bosses reappear.When Suda 51 announced World Ranker, he made clear he wanted it to be successful enough in Japan to warrant a worldwide release. Whether or not we'll see the game on Western smartphones likely depends on its performance during the next few months.Check after the break for some screenshots.
Metal Gear Solid: Social Ops coming to smartphones, hits worldwide this year
Konami announced Metal Gear Solid: Social Ops, an upcoming smartphone game, at this morning's Metal Gear 25th Anniversary event. GREE chief operating officer Yoshikazu Tanaka unveiled the game's first trailer, showcasing its 3D graphics in the Unity engine, before announcing a worldwide release later this year.According to Andriasang, Social Ops revisits stories from previous MGS games, features a card-based battle system, and has Mother Base development options reminiscent of Peace Walker. Attendees at September's Tokyo Game Show should find out, as a playable build is scheduled to be there. In the meantime, Famitsu has a couple of screenshots to check out.[Image credit: @johntv]
Konami is No. 2 social games publisher behind Zynga
Konami has recently received a massive bump to its financial report from its social gaming division: In the first nine months of fiscal 2012, Konami reported its year-on-year gain was driven by social gaming, which generated $348 million in revenue, up $127 million from 2011. Without context, these numbers can seem impressive, but meaningless.Fortunately, Careen Yapp provided a background for Konami's finances during an "ask these publishers anything" panel at Gamescom: Last year estimates put Konami as the second-most-prolific social games publisher behind Zynga.Zynga, the market giant, posted $1.14 billion in revenue for 2011 from social gaming, with $1.07 billion of that in microtransactions alone. This actually translated to a net loss of $404.3 million for Zynga, and its stock continues to remain far below original estimates, along with public perception of the company.Being No. 2 to Zynga and being in a position to create products other than social games isn't such a bad spot for Konami to be in.
MechWarrior Tactics developer snags social studio
Roadhouse Interactive, developers of MechWarrior Tactics, recently announced the acquisition of social game developer Embassy Interactive in a press release. Now known as Roadhouse Game Studios, the newly-obtained Vancouver team "will focus on new product development for Facebook, smartphones and tablets."Embassy Interactive developed the UFC Undisputed Fight Night game for Facebook and Tangram Puzzle Pro for iOS.
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]
Regulation rumors drop GREE founder's shares by $700m
GREE founder Yoshikazu Tanaka lost about $700 million over the past two days when shares of GREE plunged 23.3 percent on Monday, then another 0.1 percent today. The rapid decline was caused by a Yomiuri report stating that Japan's Consumer Affairs Agency was considering regulating the Japanese social games industry.The aspect of Japanese social games that the agency is rumored to disapprove of is the "complete gacha" style of microtransaction, in which players pay for randomized items, earning additional in-game rewards for completing a set. This could be construed as a form of lottery, which is illegal as a sales incentive in Japan.GREE officially declined to comment to the Wall Street Journal about the potential impact of a ban on these microtransactions, noting that there were other ways to build revenue. However, we suspect Tanaka himself has a different view on the potential financial impact, having already seen it happen. GREE and other social gaming companies have announced plans to self-regulate their games, creating industry guidelines and imposing spending caps.This (what's the opposite of a windfall?) happened just a week after GREE announced its purchase of Funzio, developer of social games including Crime City.
Mobile is the fastest-growing segment of social games
The iPad, iPhone and other mobile devices are a growing source of revenue for those selling virtual goods, says a report from Inside Virtual Goods. The report looks at the virtual goods market and tracks sales from mobile devices and social games like those on Facebook. Though social games will remain the leader with US$2.9 billion in sales expected this year, mobile gaming is on the rise. Mobile virtual good sales are expected to climb to $500 million in 2012, up from $350 million in 2011. And this is just the beginning. "Mobile gaming is still hitting its stride," said Justin Smith, the founder of Inside Network, in an interview with Venture Beat. While social games tend to attract older females, the Inside Virtual Goods report claims mobile gaming attracts a different audience. Being on Facebook is important, but the social network shouldn't be a games-only outlet. The winner in this market will be the company that can target both demographics by launching on Facebook and mobile devices at the same time. [Via Venture Beat]
Zynga breaking away from Facebook dependency with 'Zynga Platform'
Zynga is, evidently, aware how crazy and risky it sounds to tie your entire multimillion-dollar business to a single other company (like, say, Facebook). And so it is diversifying, announcing its own Zynga Platform, a Zynga-run portal for the company's social games, like CastleVille, Words with Friends, and ... you know, Zynga stuff.The platform will feature a live "Social Stream" to see your friends' activity, player profiles (with a "helpfulness" rating), and even a selection of games from other social game companies who are acting as "partners" on the platform.The Platform will be located at zynga.com, and will launch in beta form "in a few days," according to the announcement from CEO Mark Pincus.
