By Eric Knipp on Sep 3, 2010 in Cloud Computing, Disruptive Tech, Game Development
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Cloud computing is transforming all types of software businesses, but the changes are playing out differently by industry – video games included. In enterprise software, which yours truly covers for Gartner, the change is most visible in software-as-a-service (SaaS) businesses like Salesforce.com. Small- and medium-sized companies are all jumping onto the SaaS bandwagon, because it lets them have access to capabilities that previously required expensive software...
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By Gaming Business Review on Sep 3, 2010 in Digital Distribution, MMO Games, Online Games
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* Editor’s Note: Article syndicated in partnership with Gaming Business Review.
Privately held game developer Trion Worlds revealed that it has spent more than $50 million developing the platform for its first crop of massively multiplayer online (MMO) games, including debut titles Rift: Planes of Telara and End of Nations. Both are due out next year.
Trion’s first officially announced game, Rift: Planes of Telara, has been in development from the time the...
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By Scott Steinberg on Sep 2, 2010 in Culture, Free Games, Social Games
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Here’s a question you have to ask yourself: Just how much FarmVille, Mafia Wars and Pet Society is enough? For some, a year’s worth of wasted afternoons, others a couple play sessions and still more a single reminder to tend your @&(!$ crops. Still, that’s the beauty of social games, designed less to push the conceptual or technical bar than keep people clicking. Our position on these titles? They’re great at helping expand the gaming...
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By Terry Tognietti on Sep 1, 2010 in Culture, PC, Politics
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As we all observe (and in some cases participate personally) in the transitions that the United States military and other Alliance partners are making to support democratic embryos in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other less publicized corners of the world, it creates a certain emotion in each of us. While many have experienced the sadness associated with the loss of our brave brethren who fallen in pursuit this noble cause, many more have felt the pride of observing what...
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By Adrian Crook on Sep 1, 2010 in Business, Free Games, MMO Games
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I don’t know if Maid Marian‘s Sherwood Dungeon RPG is indeed the most successful Shockwave free to play MMO, but it’s done pretty well for Gene Endrody and his wife – the only two employees of the developer, Maid Marian.
More interesting though is that the lone source of revenue for all of Maid Marian’s games is Google Adwords PPC (pay per click) ads.
Recently, I had the chance to sit down with Gene and discuss Maid Marian,...
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By Scott Steinberg on Sep 1, 2010 in Culture, PC, Video Games
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Who says that video games aren’t art? Critics like Roger Ebert and others who are typically uninformed or ill-disposed towards the medium. Thankfully, the good folks at CNN.com recently gave us the chance to tell the other side of the “gaming as artwork” debate. While we could rehash our arguments (and the same tired old rhetoric that’s fueled the discussion for years), or wax philosophical on whether or not a video game can make you cry (of...
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By Tom Ohle on Aug 31, 2010 in Marketing, Public Relations, Video Games
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Pitching a journalist may seem like a daunting task, even for seasoned public relations (PR) professionals. However, it’s an essential skill to learn. While press releases may be a vital weapon in a PR rep’s arsenal, they’re ultimately a rather passive way to secure media coverage, since you’re really just carpet-bombing media with a subject you hope that they’ll find interesting. To really improve chances of securing coverage for your...
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By Kyle Orland on Aug 31, 2010 in Business, Downloadable Content (DLC), Publishing
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Here at Game Theory, we’ve already discussed the topic of used games and their effect on the industry several times. But with a recent Penny Arcade cartoon and news post bringing the issue to the forefront of discussion yet again, we felt it was worth exploring some of the misconceptions about the market effects of used game sales.
Wednesday’s Penny Arcade comic refers to the used game market as “a kind of parallel economy.” This implies...
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By Trip Hawkins on Aug 30, 2010 in Apple, Digital Distribution, Mobile Games
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Western fascination with the iPhone has invigorated the mobile games and content market, but here are ten things that must happen for mobile to fulfill its enormous destiny:
1. It’s About the Mobile Web
The principles that have made the World Wide Web such a huge success have to be enabled on mobile networks and devices. This includes innovative and healthy content supply chains, social value, viral spread, viral discovery, free trial, and having a variety of...
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By Adrian Crook on Aug 30, 2010 in Game Design, Game Development, MMO Games
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Whether you’re making a casual massively multiplayer online (MMO) game like Maple Story or a virtual world like Habbo Hotel, here are 10 ways to remove game-killing barriers to entry and create the largest possible addressable market.
1. Free to Play
The Free to Play business model is here to stay – and growing every day. In an entertainment world filled with endless choices, asking someone to pony up $50 before they can play a game is rapidly...
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