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Nickelodeon To Use PlaySpan Payment Platform
by Eric Caoili
[10.29.09]
Nickelodeon's Virtual Worlds Group (Neopets) is licensing PlaySpan technology for virtual goods and microtransactions. The payment platform will support the company's Neocash virtual world currency.
PC, Casual
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Watercooler Raises $5.5 Million For Fantasy Sports, Social Games
by Eric Caoili
[10.26.09]
In a Series B investment round led by legal online gambling business Betfair, social games developer Watercooler Inc. secured $5.5 million, to fund fantasy sports and social games on Facebook and other platforms.
PC, Casual
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Best of GameSetWatch: From Spore Islands to Dark Tower
by Eric Caoili
[10.22.09]
We highlight the week's alternative news and curiosities from sister blog GameSetWatch -- this time exploring Facebook's Spore spin-off, a game based on Stephen King's The Dark Tower series, and much more.
PC, Console, Indie, Casual
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Interview: Direct2Drive's Berger On The Evolving Digital Distro Space
by Leigh Alexander
[10.14.09]
As downloadable game service Direct2Drive turns five, we catch up with senior VP Jamie Berger for a fascinating look at how quickly digital distribution has grown up, and how new tech developments stand to affect the space.
PC, Console, Casual, Originals
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In-Depth: The Most Popular Gamer On Facebook
by Soyon Im
[09.16.09]
The draw of socially-networked games is playing with folks you know -- but meet gamer A-ya Chiu, who's had up to 4,500 Facebook friends just to maximize her Pet Society stats, for a look at how it can take over. [5]
PC, Console, Casual, Originals
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Study: Casual Games Just As 'Sticky' As Traditional Titles
by Leigh Alexander
[09.09.09]
Casual games are just as "sticky" as core titles like World of Warcraft, finds a new Nielsen study comparing rates of return to favorite titles between traditional and non-traditional audiences.
PC, Console, Casual
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Analysis: The Fun Of Language Development with Bookworm Adventures
by Daniel Johnson
[08.25.09]
Not only is Bookworm Adventures fun, but many have found it helps improve language skills -- so Gamasutra catches up with PopCap's Tysen Hendersen to talk juggling fun and education. [1]
PC, Console, Casual, Originals
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Interview: Live Gamer Beefs Virtual Economies Offering With Twofish Acquisition
by Leigh Alexander
[08.24.09]
Virtual commerce company LiveGamer has acquired in-game economy middleware provider Twofish, incorporating its casual and social transactions-focused tech into a "one-stop shop" for developers implementing in-game economies.
PC, Console, Casual, Originals
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Former Gamecock CEO Discusses Company's Demise, Alleges Contractor Payment Issues
by Christian Nutt
[08.14.09]
Gamecock's Mike Wilson has been discussing publisher's demise, chronicling its "lightspeed" sale to competitor SouthPeak, and alleging that former Gamecock contractors have had trouble getting paid by Southpeak. [2]
PC, Console, Mobile Console, Casual
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PlaySpan Launches Ultimate Payment Wall For Social Networks
by Eric Caoili
[08.05.09]
Microtransaction and virtual trading platform PlaySpan released Spare Change Ultimate Payment Wall, which enables developers to provide more than 50 payment methods to game players on social networks like Facebook and MySpace.
PC, Casual
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Opinion: On The Casual/Core Game Development Divide
by James Portnow
[07.28.09]
Why weren't more traditional developers attending last week's Casual Connect conference? In this opinion column, dev James Portnow warns of the peril in treating casual games like a separate industry. [8]
PC, Console, Mobile Phone, Mobile Console, Casual, Columns, Originals
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News Corp: Increased Focus On MySpace As Gaming Platform
by Eric Caoili
[07.24.09]
Not long after ousting MySpace's former CEO, the social network's owner News Corp. revealed its intentions to expand the site as a gaming platform, suggesting future acquisitions towards this initiative, according to media reports. [1]
PC, Casual
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Round-Up: 2009 Casual Connect Conference
by Leigh Alexander
[07.24.09]
All this week, Gamasutra and casual site Gamezebo have brought you keynote and panel coverage from Seattle's Casual Connect event -- here's the highlights, from Nintendo to PopCap and beyond.
PC, Console, Casual
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Casual Connect: Building Strong Brands In A Storm Of Competition
by Erin Bell
[07.24.09]
Developers can survive increasing competition and falling prices in the casual space by building strong brands, not by cranking out volumes of low-quality titles, says Last Day of Work's Arthur Humphrey. [2]
PC, Console, Casual, Originals
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Casual Connect: Top 12 Social Gaming Trends
by Erin Bell
[07.24.09]
What are the past year's 12 most interesting and ground-breaking trends in social games? At a Casual Connect panel, Playdom's Steve Meretzky and David Rohrl, plus Hit Detection's N'Gai Croal, gave a round-up. [5]
PC, Console, Casual, Originals
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Casual Connect: The Fatal Flaws Of Flash Game Design
by Erin Bell
[07.23.09]
At Casual Connect, Flash game portal Kongregate's CEO Jim Greer and Developer Relations Manager Greg McClanahan discussed tips on what to do -- and what not to do -- in Flash game design. [5]
PC, Console, Casual
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Casual Connect: What's In A (Game) Name?
by Erin Bell
[07.23.09]
At Casual Connect, veteran casual devs from Reflexive, Rebel Monkey and more talk about the surprisingly key role a game's name plays in attracting users, globalizing a property and selling sequels. [1]
PC, Console, Casual, Originals
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Casual Connect: PopCap CEO Roberts Praises Crossover Games
by Erin Bell
[07.22.09]
At Seattle's Casual Connect event, PopCap (Peggle, Plants Vs. Zombies) CEO Dave Roberts explained why the casual biz should forsake "micro-demographics", and focus on creating crossover, quality 'core'/casual games. [10]
PC, Console, Casual, Originals
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Ubisoft Launches UbiFriends Facebook Gaming Portal
by Eric Caoili
[07.21.09]
Ubisoft and its internal San Francisco development team launched UbiFriends, a Facebook gaming portal for new online games and applications from the company, with social trivia game TickTock.
PC, Casual
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Q&A: Magic: The Gathering Creator Garfield To Launch Free-To-Play Game
by Christian Nutt
[07.21.09]
Gamasutra talks to legendary Magic: The Gathering creator Richard Garfield about his collaboration with Mind Control (Oasis) to create microtransaction based strategy game Mind Twist for iPhone and Facebook.
PC, Console, Mobile Phone, Casual, Originals
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