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If you enjoy reading this site, you might also want to check out these Think Services sites:
 Game Career Guide (for student game developers.)
 Indie Games (for independent game players/developers.)
 Finger Gaming (news, reviews, and analysis on iPhone and iPod Touch games.)
 GamerBytes (for the latest console digital download news.)
 Worlds In Motion (discussing the business of online worlds.)
 Game Set Watch (the Group's alt.game weblog.) |
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Class-Action Suit Filed Against Zynga, Facebook Over Offer-Based Ads
by Eric Caoili
[11.20.09]
A law firm has filed a class-action suit against Facebook game developer Zynga (FarmVille), seeking upwards of $5 million in damages due to allegedly misleading lead-generation ads featured in the latter's games. [2]
PC, Console, Casual
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Offerpal Sets New Ad Standards As Facebook Bans Offer Providers
by Eric Caoili
[11.20.09]
Offerpal Media, an ad provider for social apps and games, announced a new set of standards for its controversial lead generation offers, just as Facebook bans other providers like Tatto Media for their questionable ads.
PC, Casual
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GameStop Acquires Majority Stake in Jolt Online Gaming
by Eric Caoili
[11.19.09]
Specialty retailer GameStop acquired a majority interest in online gaming platform Jolt (Utopia series, Playboy Manager), which the company describes as a "significant building block" in its digital business strategy.
PC, Casual
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NeoEdge Merges With Offspring, Expands Into Game Creation
by Leigh Alexander
[11.19.09]
Casual online game ad platform NeoEdge has merged with Offspring, a social games company founded by three former Pogo.com founders, with the new firm developing casual games alongside the tech to serve ads in them.
PC, Console, Casual
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Study: MMOs Take Up 14% Of Gaming Time In U.S
by Eric Caoili
[11.18.09]
MMOs constitute 14 percent of all time spent playing video games in the U.S., and 5.5 hours a week per player is devoted to massively multiplayer online experiences, according to results from a new international study.
PC, Console, Casual
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Zynga Raises $15.2 Million In New Funding
by Eric Caoili
[11.17.09]
Despite recent controversy over offers in its Facebook apps, social games developer Zynga (FarmVille, Mafia Wars) has picked up $15.2 million in a new round of funding from existing backers. [5]
PC, Casual
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Wooga Raises $7.5 Million For Social Games, New Hires
by Eric Caoili
[11.12.09]
Berlin-based social games company Wooga (Brain Buddies) raised €5 million ($7.5 million), which it will put toward expanding its 25-strong team and the development of its two upcoming titles.
PC, Console, Casual
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Best of GameSetWatch: From REO Speedwagon to Rock Band Network
by Eric Caoili
[11.12.09]
We highlight the week's alternative news and curiosities from sister blog GameSetWatch -- this time looking at companies specializing in Rock Band Network song coversions, an REO Speedwagon hidden object game, and more.
PC, Console, Indie, Casual
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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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