After SimCity debacle, EA leaves no doubt: Sims 4 works offline 6
by Kris Graft [05.06.13]
In this post-SimCity world, Maxis and EA made sure to stress that The Sims 4 is absolutely, positively, playable offline.
Console/PC, Social/Online, Business/Marketing

---

EA inks exclusive deal to develop 'core' Star Wars video games 72
by Kris Graft [05.06.13]
EA announced today it has landed an exclusive multi-year agreement to develop and publish games based on Lucasfilms' Star Wars universe, with DICE, BioWare and Visceral leading the charge.
Console/PC, Business/Marketing

---

4 tips for building an in-game store 6
by Gamasutra Community [05.06.13]
How do you drive players to your in-game store and encourage them to pay? This simple but useful blog post outlines some best practices.
Social/Online, Smartphone/Tablet, Design, Business/Marketing

---

One developer's bold step forward on iOS 7
by Staff [05.06.13]
In Gamasutra's latest original postmortem, Appy Entertainment's Animal Legends is put under the microscope -- and as the developer was trying new things, there are plenty of hard lessons.
Smartphone/Tablet, Art, Design, Production, Business/Marketing

---

Nintendo getting serious about mobile apps on Wii U  
by Kris Ligman [05.06.13]
Amidst lagging Wii U sales, and following its Web Framework announcement at GDC, Nintendo continues laying groundwork for smartphone developers to carve out a niche on the platform.
Console/PC, Smartphone/Tablet, Business/Marketing

---

Breaking into mobile games with a premium-priced RPG 10
by Gamasutra Community [05.06.13]
In this stat-filled blog post, first-time indie developers BoxCat share a detailed breakdown of sales for Nameless: The Hackers alongside details on how the studio promoted the game to potential players.
Smartphone/Tablet, Indie, Business/Marketing

---

Amazon's next big step: Android Appstore launches in China  
by Mike Rose [05.06.13]
As Amazon prepares to go global with its Android Appstore, the company made a huge step into the Chinese market over the weekend, launching its paid and free app download store in the country.
Smartphone/Tablet, Business/Marketing

---

Bullying is the next big topic for Papo & Yo studio 6
by Mike Rose [05.06.13]
"Bullying is something that has affected everyone... So we're looking at how we can get gameplay where the player will feel what it is [like] to be in those situations." - Minority Media discusses Silent Enemy.
Console/PC, Business/Marketing, Video

---

Watch heads roll in this guillotine simulator for Oculus Rift 4
by Mike Rose [05.06.13]
While we've seen plenty of experiments showing the potential for utilizing the upcoming Oculus Rift technlogy to fully immerse a player in a game world, we haven't seen anything quite like this.
Console/PC, Indie, Business/Marketing, Video

---

Blog: The problem with game reviews 12
by Gamasutra Community [05.06.13]
Do numerical rankings really make sense for video game reviews? Looking to restaurant reviews can shed some light.
Console/PC, Social/Online, Smartphone/Tablet, Indie, Design, Business/Marketing

---

Blog: 'Free' is getting very expensive 28
by Gamasutra Community [05.06.13]
When a player springs for a "founder's fee" in a new MMO, what do they really get? Ramin Shokrizade examines Marvel Heroes and MechWarrior Tactics.
Social/Online, Design, Business/Marketing

---

Denis Dyack is working on a followup to Eternal Darkness 16
by Kris Ligman [05.03.13]
Precursor Games has announced a 12-part spiritual successor to Silicon Knights' 2002 effort Eternal Darkness, with creator Denis Dyack attached as chief creative officer.
Console/PC, Production, Business/Marketing

---

A view of the industry from a guy who's been all over the place 1
by Kris Graft [05.03.13]
From EA to Zynga to startups, game industry stalwart Mike Verdu has been a designer, a software engineer and a high-level exec. Here he explains how he keeps up with an industry that's in constant flux.
Smartphone/Tablet, Business/Marketing, Exclusive

---

Jagex thinks it has cracked HTML5 with RuneScape 3 5
by Mike Rose [05.03.13]
This summer, UK-based developer Jagex will release RuneScape 3, an HTML5 update of its classic MMORPG. Why does the company believe it can succeed where others are dropping out?
Console/PC, Social/Online, Smartphone/Tablet, Programming, Design, Business/Marketing, Exclusive

---

A way to manage risk in game development 7
by Staff [05.03.13]
When he left Retro Studios and decided to found his own company, Paul Touzor wanted to best to mitigate risk, so he studied one proven method.
Console/PC, Social/Online, Smartphone/Tablet, Indie, Production, Business/Marketing

---

How Jagex plans to entice new players into its 12-year-old MMO 3
by Mike Rose [05.03.13]
RuneScape first launched 12 years ago, and is now one of the most content-filled MMOs available. With the upcoming RuneScape 3, Jagex has a plan to reel in those players still daunted by the scale.
Console/PC, Social/Online, Design, Business/Marketing, Exclusive

---

Google hires a chief game designer, but isn't saying why 2
by Kris Ligman [05.02.13]
Industry veteran Noah Falstein joins Google's ranks as its new chief game designer, but the reasons behind the move remain a little unclear.
Console/PC, Smartphone/Tablet, Design, Production, Business/Marketing

---

Sorry Nintendo, Madden just isn't that into (Wii) U 27
by Kris Ligman [05.02.13]
The Nintendo Wii U is still struggling to build a robust lineup of titles. Now, EA Sports has announced its Madden series will not be making an appearance on the console in 2013.
Console/PC, Production, Business/Marketing

---

TimeGate in turmoil, owing creditors for engine licensing, pizza 6
by Kris Ligman [05.02.13]
The tale of Aliens: Colonial Marines' tumultuous development gained an additional layer on Wednesday with co-developer TimeGate Studios filing for bankruptcy protection.
Console/PC, Business/Marketing

---

Shooter games boost Chinese online game market, as MMORPGs give way 3
by Kris Ligman [05.02.13]
Even as mobile devices take hold and MMORPGs give way to new genres, there's still an opportunity to build a business around online games in China, according to a new report.
Console/PC, Business/Marketing

---