Filed under: GAMING | Tags: FETCH! with Ruff Ruffman, GAME, GameStop, History, Shopping, Toys and Games, Video game, Wordgirl
PBS Kids Go! expanded its video player capabilities to include new in-video gaming on pbskidsgo.org. In video games designed to foster learning comprehension among the site’s targeted 6-8 demo have been added to shows such as Arthur, Fetch! With Ruff Ruffman and Wordgirl. (Cynopsis 3/19)
Then there’s Mooch, which as build a peer-to-peer video game trading site just launched in public beta. Instead of exchanging used titles at their local GameStop for a fraction of the original price, users can enter a list of the games they have as well as the games they want and the site’s trading engine identifies potential trades based on the commensurate value of each title. The site is free to use during its beta but will require an annual $20 subscription fee upon launch. (Cynopsis 3/19)
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Filed under: GAMING | Tags: GAME, Marvel Super Hero Squad, Marvel Super Heroes, Marvel Universe, Massively multiplayer online game, Player character, Roleplaying, Super Heroes
Marvel Entertainment and Gazillion Entertainment have struck an exclusive 10-year licensing deal to develop massively multiplayer online games based on Marvel’s stable of 5,000 characters. The first game in development is a casual MMO title for younger players based on Marvel’s Super Hero Squad comic. Gazillion also will develop “Marvel Universe,” an MMO game for PC and consoles. Financial details of the licensing deal were not disclosed. (Cynopsis 3/18)
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Filed under: GAMING | Tags: Console Platforms, GAME, Lions Gate Entertainment, Lionsgate, New York, Nintendo, Video game, Wii
Nintendo Wii may do more than deliver games in the future, according to Lionsgate President Curt Marvis, who said the Wii offered opportunities to movie studios. For the Japanese market, Nintendo already has a video-on-demand service in development for the Wii. The New York Times/VentureBeat (3/13)
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Filed under: GAMING | Tags: Console Platforms, GAME, Japan, Nintendo, Online game, Video game, Wii, Yahoo
Thanks to strong demand for its Wii and DS gaming platforms, Japan‘s Nintendo announced a 21% rise in operating profit in the third quarter. But that good news came with a caveat: The company also scaled back its forecast because of a strong yen, which makes Nintendo’s goods less desirable on the world import stage. Reuters (1/29)
Online gaming usage spiked significantly last year as broadband became more affordable and consumers looked for cheap entertainment options, according to ComScore. The category itself surged by 27% to nearly 86 million users with Yahoo! Games leading the pack. Americans’ total share of internet time spent playing online games grew from 3.7% in December 2007 to 4.9% in December 2008. (Cynopsis 1/29)
Top Online Gaming Sites - December 2008 vs. December 2007
Total Unique Visitors (000)
Dec-2007 Dec-2008 % Change
Online Gaming 67,457 85,977 27
Yahoo! Games 16,184 19,468 20
EA Online 12,673 15,369 21
Disney Games 11,933 13,458 13
WildTangent Network 7,650 13,306 74
Addictinggames.com 9,706 11,343 17
AOL Games 8,380 10,750 28
MSN Games 9,685 10,263 6
Miniclip.com 7,264 8,636 19
Nick.com Games 6,020 7,092 18
Spil Games 1,821 6,715 269
Total Internet Audience 183,619 190,650 4
Source: comScore Media Metrix
The gaming category also attracted more display ads, with total display ad views increasing by 29% to 8.6 billion.
Display Advertising Trends in Online Gaming Category – Nov. 2008 vs. Nov. 2007
Online Gaming Nov-2007 Nov-2008 % Change
Total Display Ad Views (MM) 6,659 8,610 29
Advertising Exposed Unique Visitors (000) 52,066 67,834 30
Advertising Exposed Reach % 28.6 35.6 25
Display Ads per Page Viewed 1.00 0.83 -17
Average Frequency 127.9 126.9 -1
GRPs Total Population 2,271 2,913 28
Source: comScore Ad Metrix
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Filed under: GAMING | Tags: Activision, Amazon.com, Electronic Arts, GAME, New York, Video game, Video game developer, World of Goo
In the world of video game development, titans such as Electronic Arts and Activision rule the roost, but recently an independent game called “World of Goo” became the top-selling PC title on Amazon.com. According to this report, the industry is changing in ways that make it somewhat easier for indie titles to break through. The New York Times/VentureBeat (1/2)
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Filed under: GAMING | Tags: Console Platforms, Electronic Arts, GAME, Nintendo, Shigeru Miyamoto, Video game, Wii, Wii Music
Slow sales of the roughly-two-month-old “Wii Music” game have some analysts concerned that the exponentially expanding game console from Nintendo may have hit its first roadblock. “It could be Nintendo’s first flop for Wii,” UBS Investment Research analyst Benjamin Schachter. The Wall Street Journal (12/15)
Getty Images
Nintendo game designer Shigeru Miyamoto, shown demonstrating Wii Music, says he isn’t expecting it to be an immediate hit.
The gaming industry is emerging as a bright corner of the troubled economy as U.S. sales of videogames grew 10% to $2.91 billion in November, according to market research firm NPD Group. Sales of videogame consoles were also up 10%, to $1.21 billion led by the Nintendo which sold more than 2 million Wiis and 1.57 million DS hand-held consoles. Microsoft came in second, with 836,000 Xbox 360 consoles sold. Sony continued to struggle in November, selling only 378,000 PlayStation 3s, 206,000 PS2s and 421,000 of PSP handhelds. (Cynopsis 12/15)
The media industry will be watching Wednesday when video game publisher Take-Two Interactive Software releases its quarterly earnings. According to this report, crashing stock values at many games companies are making them prime takeover targets for larger media companies. The Wall Street Journal (12/15)
Top 10 PC Game Titles in the U.S.
Rank Game Title Publisher AU% Ave. Minutes Played/Week
1 World of Warcraft Blizzard Entertainment .723 671
2 Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare Activision .163 403
3 Halo: Combat Evolved Microsoft Game Studios .092 295
4 Sims, The Electronic Arts Inc. 0.09 213
5 Sims 2, The Electronic Arts Inc. 0.086 291
6 RuneScape Jagex Ltd. 0.084 451
7 Diablo II Blizzard Entertainment 0.065 313
8 Team Fortress 2 Valve 0.063 371
9 Counter-Strike Sierra Studios 0.062 282
10 CS: Source Valve Sierra Studios 0.061 426
Source: The Nielsen Company
Note: Data from Jan – Oct 2008. AU% = % of PC Gamers playing title in the average minute
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Filed under: GAMING | Tags: GAME, Lich King, Massively multiplayer online game, Nintendo DS, Playstation 3, Video game, World of Warcraft, World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King
Activision Blizzard sold a record 2.8 million copies of the latest World of Warcraft expansion: Wrath of the Lich King within the first 24 hours of its release. The Massively Multiplayer Online Game has about 11 million online subscribers. (Cynopsis 11/20)
In its battle for the hearts and minds of gamers, Sony is developing a robust social-networking component to its PlayStation 3 console. The new element, to be called Home, has been in beta testing for weeks and allows users to explore an online world with avatars that can travel from one virtual place to another. The New York Times/VentureBeat (11/19)
National Geographic Ventures is working with video game makers on branded games for PCs, consoles and handhelds, according to this article. “National Geographic: Panda” will be available this month for handheld Nintendo DS, and next month Sony will have “National Geographic: Africa.” The Washington Post/The Associated Press (11/18)
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