Filed under: GAMING
The increasing popularity of downloadable-game services is giving smaller game developers, even in the midst of big company tie-ups, a chance to grab the attention of gamers, according to this BusinessWeek analysis. “The trend is just ramping up,” said Matt Leone, the previews editor at games site 1Up.com. “And a lot of smaller companies are starting to ride this wave.” (BusinessWeek 1/14)
The Zynga Game Network is a startup whose mission is to modify poker, blackjack and other card games, as well as “classic” games like Risk, Boggle and Battleship, for play on Facebook and other social networks. Zynga is the brainchild of Mark Pincus, whose previous Silicon Valley startups have included Support.com, and also Tribe.net, one of the first social networks. (The New York Times 1/15)
Nintendo has announced that development delays will push back the release of the anticipated “Super Smash Bros. Brawl” until March. “The game contains an unprecedented number of characters, options and experiences,” a Nintendo representative said. (GameDaily BIZ 1/15)
Filed under: TECHNOLOGY
An increasing number of PCs with the open-source Linux operating system pre-installed are showing up in stores because of some consumers’ disappointment with Microsoft’s Vista. Several computer makers are opting to bring Linux machines to retail, including Dell, Everex and Shuttle Computers. (Yahoo!/TechWeb/InformationWeek 1/14)
A number of companies have joined an open-source project called Eco-Patent Commons in which they are releasing patents into the public domain for environmentally friendly projects. IBM, Sony, and Nokia are among the groups contributing to the IP portfolio that is being managed by the Geneva-based World Business Council for Sustainable Development. (EDN/Electronic News 1/14)
Filed under: MISC
(Below) If there’s one thing musicians love, it’s corporate sponsorship. This should go over EXTREMELY well.
The next Coldplay album could be “brought to you by Sudafed,” under a plan being unveiled by Guy Hands, the head of Terra Firma, the private equity firm that owns floundering music company EMI. “Football teams have corporate sponsorship,” he says. “Why shouldn’t the leading bands?” (http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/765dad9e-c30c-11dc-b617-0000779fd2ac.html?nclick_check=1 1/15)
