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August 04, 2011

Kixeye raises $18 million

The studio which proudly presents itself as a "hardcore social gaming company" has raised $18 million in a third round of funding, which will see Zynga co-founder Andrew Trader appointed to its board of directors. Prior to rebranding in April, Kixeye was known as The Casual Collective, and was founded by Paul Preece and David Scott, developers of Desktop Tower Defense. The company certainly seems to be going places: Inside Social Games notes that its workforce has grown from 3 to 60 employees in the last 18 months, and its number of monthly active users has grown 41 per cent, to 5.1 million, since the turn of the year.
http://www.insidesocialgames.com/2011/08/03/kixeye-funding-18m-zynga-trade/
Inside Social Games


Judge backs Zynga in Vostu lawsuit

A judge in Brazil has sided with Zynga in its case against Vostu, the Brazilian developer it accused of "blatant copyright infringement". The juge has granted a preliminiary injunction and ordered Vostu - and Google's Ortuk social network, which is run from Brazil and hosts the games in question - to remove the offending works within 48 hours. Should the two firms fail to remove MegaCity, Café Mania, Pet Mania and Vostu Poker before the deadline, they will be subject to a daily fine of 20,000 Brazilian Reals (£7,800). Google can't be too impressed - the search giant is also a Zynga shareholder - and it's interesting, though far from surprising, that Zynga hasn't taken action against Facebook, which also hosts Vostu's games.
http://techcrunch.com/2011/08/03/zynga-sues-google-over-vostu-dispute
TechCrunch


Prose With Bros review

Creative debauchery rules in an iOS word game which proves filth always rises to the top.

“The curvy lady is watched by the men, and rapid hands work their will!” If Prose With Bros says anything about iOS, it's that, despite Steve Jobs' best efforts, filth cannot be suppressed and the average person can turn the most innocuous collection of words into a pornographic haiku with surprising ease. 

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League Of Legends: Dominion announced

Riot Games has revealed League Of Legends: Dominion, which adds a new capture-and-hold game mode and a new map, Crystal Scar, to its hugely popular free-to-play RTS. The developer says the new mode is a faster-paced alternative to the more strategic Summoner's Rift, with matches typically lasting for just 20 minutes. While it declined to specify a release date, Riot will be showing Dominion for the first time at next week's Gamescom in Cologne.
http://dominion.leagueoflegends.com/
League Of Legends


The four trends that are reshaping gaming

Everywhere, on everything and connected with everyone: PopCap's Giordano Bruno Contestabile looks at the future of gaming.

Last month, I argued in this column that we are currently experiencing a “golden age of gaming”. It's been brought upon us by the advent of platforms and technologies that enable casual, social and connected gaming experiences across different devices, attracting a much wider audience of casual gamers to our favorite pastime – in particular, non-gamers who might not be able to tell a Tauren from a Troll but quite enjoy swapping gems or flinging birds.

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GameBox brings CityVille to iPad

The GameBox app makes Facebook games playable on the Apple tablet by handling Flash rendering in the cloud. Only two games are available at present - Zynga's CityVille, and Army Attack by Digital Chocolate - but developer Mobi2SNS is promising that more titles will be added over time.
http://techcrunch.com/2011/08/03/gamebox-for-facebook-tunnels-facebook-games-to-the-ipad/
TechCrunch


99Bullets review

It looks like a scrolling shooter, but it'd be a mistake to play this DSiWare score attack like one.

99Bullets looks like a scrolling shooter. It plays like a shooter. But, as new players will find out to their cost, applying the rules ingrained in your mind from all the countless shooters you've played before is the surest route to failure. 

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Braben: "Big publishers are running scared"

In an interview, the Elite creator says that the decision to put on hold the development of The Outsider was in large part due to an increasingly risk-averse publishing community. "There's a problem at the moment as big publishers are running scared," he tells us. "What really upsets me is that we have this Call Of Duty-shaped jelly mould, and it's being used to create games that are all competing for a very narrow niche. That's very disappointing as a gamer…something inside me dies when I see another game that looks exactly the same as all the others." For the full interview, follow the source link below.
http://www.next-gen.biz/features/david-braben-disneyland
David Braben on Disneyland


David Braben on Disneyland

"Imagineers want to give you the impression that you’re flying. We can take that one step further."

Following yesterday's interview with Frontier Developments head David Braben on his Raspberry Pi $25 PC project, we also talked to him about his studio's forthcoming game, Kinect Disneyland Adventures. The game marks the continuation of Frontier's relationship with theme parks, having created Rollercoaster Tycoon 3, and the meeting of imagineer and game design imaginations.

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Arrested Development duo sign up for Call Of Duty Elite

When Activision announced its premium Call Of Duty subscription service, it said that in addition to its social, stat-tracking features, it would also offer "exclusive, high-production value, original entertainment programming designed exclusively for the Call of Duty community." The Hollywood Reporter has now revealed that Will Arnett and Jason Bateman - who starred together in the sorely missed US sitcom Arrested Development - are to create it. "I consider myself a gamer," said Arnett. "When you look at my time spent gaming, versus other entertainment outlets, I probably spend more time gaming. Videogames are a real outlet that need to be taken seriously." Look out for Arnett doing Gob's chicken dance in a ghillie suit when the service launches alongside Modern Warfare 3 this November.
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/will-arnett-jason-bateman-s-218772
Hollywood Reporter


Blizzard: declining Warcraft subs "normal"

Mike Morhaime says loss last quarter of 300,000 subscribers was to be expected following release of Cataclysm.

Mike Morhaime, president of World Of Warcraft developer Blizzard, has said that a second quarterly decline in subscriber numbers should not be a cause of concern. Instead he claims it was to be expected following the release of the game's third expansion, Cataclysm, last December.

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Me Monstar: Hear Me Roar review

There's more strategy to this PlayStation Mini gross-out arena battler than meets the eye.

Me Monstar is a top-down gobble-'em-up that's far greater than the sum of its parts, but it doesn't start well. It eases the player so gently into its arenas you'd be forgiven for thinking there's nothing more here than a slightly clunky game about running around as a slightly clunky Monstar.

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Hirai: no Vita in Europe until 2012

Sony executive confirms PSP successor will be released in Japan in 2011, and in Europe and the US early next year.

Sony's PSP successor, PlayStation Vita, will only be released in Japan in 2011, with US and European customers forced to wait until early 2012.

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HMV calls for game industry support

The retailer has had a tough 2011, reporting losses of £121.7 million in June, and needs a strong performance in the fourth quarter of the year if it is to survive. "Frankly, games folk need to support us in the way film and music have," CEO Simon Fox told MCV. "Those industries have been really supportive. We want to work closely with game suppliers and make it a highly successful season for everybody. We've been through a tough time and now it is about resetting our agenda and starting the process of rebuilding confidence."
http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/hmv-games-industry-needs-to-support-us/082599
MCV


Pro Evolution sales pass 70 million

Alongside the publication of its financial results Konami has confirmed that worldwide sales of its Pro Evolution Soccer series - known as Winning Eleven in Japan and the US - have passed 70 million units since the launch of the first game in the series for PlayStation in 2001. Pro Evolution Soccer 2012 will be released on September 27 in the US, and October 14 in Europe.
http://www.konami.co.jp/zaimu/1106/1106_english.pdf
Konami


Konami profits treble

The publisher's latest financial results show only a moderate increase in net revenue, rising 3.3 per cent year on year to ¥54.9 billion (£434.9 million). Net income, however, climbed 219.7 per cent to ¥4.04 billion (£32 million). Looking ahead, Konami is positive about the upcoming PlayStation Vita and Wii U, saying: "The types and number of devices on which games can be played are on the increase...Our belief is that we can increase the number of 'outlets' for Konami game content through the appearance of new devices. We will propose ways of playing games that match the characteristics of each device."
http://www.konami.co.jp/zaimu/1106/1106_english.pdf
Konami


More games added to Humble Indie Bundle 3

At the time of writing, the third pay-what-you-want indie game promotion - which includes Crayon Physics Deluxe, Cogs, VVVVVV, Hammerfight, And Yet It Moves and a free trial of Minecraft - has been sold over 250,000 times and grossed $1.3 million. With five days remaining, even more games have been added to persuade those still sat on the fence, with all the games from the second Bundle - Braid, Cortex Command, Machinarium, Osmos and Revenge Of The Titans - now included for those who pay more than the current average price of $5.15.
http://www.humblebundle.com/
Humble Indie Bundle


Report: Team Bondi in acquisition talks

Sources have told Kotaku that Brendan McNamara, the controversial head of the LA Noire studio, is in acquisition talks with Australian film company Kennedy-Miller Mitchell (KMM), owned by Mad Max director George Miller. McNamara and several members of his staff were given a tour of Miller's Dr D animation studio, which is currently at work on Happy Feet 2. "The word is going round that Team Bondi is being folded into KMM studios," a source said. "Team Bondi is pretty much doomed after the [crunch] scandal and can't find any new supporters, so by doing this they can hide their name." A second source claimed that Miller was "incredibly impressed...by McNamara's refusal to compromise his artistic vision in the face of deadlines."
http://www.kotaku.com.au/2011/08/rumour-team-bondi-to-be-absorbed-into-george-millers-kmm-studio-in-sydney/
Kotaku


Warner reports second quarter games growth

Mortal Kombat and Lego Pirates Of The Caribbean helped drive an increase in sales at Time Warner’s Filmed Entertainment division – which houses film, television, home video and games – during the second quarter ended June 30. Sales grew 13 per cent year-over-year to $2.8 billion, “led by growth in video game revenues, due mainly to the releases of Mortal Kombat 9 and Lego Pirates Of The Caribbean: The Video Game”, the company said in a statement. However, operating income declined eleven per cent to $154 million, “as higher revenues were more than offset by increased pre-release print and advertising expenses, higher theatrical film valuation adjustments and increased overhead costs related in part to recent acquisitions, as well as higher restructuring and severance costs”. Company-wide revenues rose ten per cent during the three months to $7 billion, while net income increased from $562 million last year to $638 million.
http://ir.timewarner.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=70972&p=irol-irhome
Time Warner


Activision Blizzard beats second quarter growth expectations

Strong digital performance drives 53 per cent rise in profits and $1.1 billion in sales.

Activision Blizzard beat its internal estimates to report significant growth in sales and earnings for the second quarter of 2011.

The publisher posted $335 million in profits, up 53 per cent from the $219 million reported during the same period last year, while sales grew from $967 million in the second quarter of 2010 to $1.1 billion, driven by a strong performance in the digital sector. Online sales were up 27 percent year-over-year to a record $423 million, representing 37 per cent of the company's net revenues.

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August 03, 2011

Japan: 3DS sales dive ahead of price cut

Everyone's Rhythm Heaven holds off new releases to retain the lead on the weekly software chart.

3DS sales almost halved in Japan during the week ended July 31, which included four days following Nintendo’s announcement that it will cut the portable’s price by 40 per cent from August 11.

The drop in sales, from 31,826 units to 16,415, meant 3DS fell from the top of the hardware rankings to fourth behind Wii, PS3 and runaway leader PSP, which saw weekly sales rise over a third to 36,659 units, Andriasang reports.

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Edinburgh Interactive preview

Our pick of the events at next week's conference and public game festival.

The ninth Edinburgh Interactive is one to watch for more than just its speakers - it's being run by a new chairman, Nintendo UK managing director David Yarnton, who's taken over from ex-SCEE head Chris Deering. The two-day event has always engaged with the business end of videogames, attracting some of the UK's leading names and benefiting from being held on August 11 and 12, which is when the Edinburgh Festival and its Fringe is in full effect.

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Glu adds $500 virtual item to Gun Bros

We're not sure if this counts as raising the bar or lowering it, but players of Glu's cooperative, free-to-play iOS shooter Gun Bros can now buy a gun for $500. Called The Kraken, it shoots homing missiles until it overheats, at which point players have to make do with an enormous laser. What's even more surprising is that the weapon was previously available for $200; Glu has actually increased the price. You can see the game-breaking firearm in action in the below video from 1m50s onwards. Never has the phrase 'free-to-play' felt like such a euphemism.
http://toucharcade.com/2011/08/03/glu-adds-500-unlockable-gun-to-gun-bros/
Touch Arcade


Minecraft convention confirmed

Markus "Notch" Persson has confirmed to our friends at PC Gamer that a Minecraft convention, creatively dubbed Minecon, will take place at the Mandalay Bay casino in Las Vegas on November 18 and 19. The convention coincides with the release of the final version of Minecraft, and Notch said: "I’m really looking forward to getting up on stage and pushing the button to upload the final build. We’ll just go back home and keep working on Minecraft directly after Minecon, but it does represent a huge milestone where the game finally leaves beta, something we’d never been able to do without our fans, so it feels natural to celebrate it with them.”
http://www.pcgamer.com/2011/08/03/minecon-first-details-mojangs-minecraft-convention-takes-place-nov-18th-19th-in-las-vegas/
PC Gamer


Cut The Rope sequel out tomorrow

Well, that was fast. Just yesterday, IGN revealed concept art for a sequel to Zeptolab's enormously successful iOS physics puzzler; now Techcrunch brings word that the game, named Cut The Rope: Experiments, will be released on the App Store tomorrow.
http://techcrunch.com/2011/08/02/cut-the-rope-sequel-will-be-called-cut-the-rope-experiments-launching-august-4th/
TechCrunch


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