The Wild Kingdoms’ Launches As FREE Download - iOS

Announcing the launch of a ‘Lite’ version of their beautiful and unique board game, ‘The Wild Kingdoms’. Previously available exclusively as a paid download, a FREE version of the game is now available from the iOS & Google Play app stores.

Racing Legends 3D F1 racing game on GooglePlay

Racing Legends is an exciting 3D racing game that brings you into the past of Formula One racing.

Mini Ninjas video game comes to Google Chrome

Angry Birds on Google+

Angry Birds on Google+ is an ongoing HTML 5 project that lets users share game updates with friends, participate in leader boards, brag about their achievements, unlock special social levels, and invite people to play. Following its successful mobile gaming strategy, Rovio will continually bring in exciting new features based on user feedback.

Dragon Age Legends dark fantasy Play4Free RPG now available on Google+

Developed by BioWare San Francisco Dragon Age Legends is available and is the only game of its kind on Google’s new real-life social project. Dragon Age Legends extends the award-winning Dragon Age franchise and reinvents it for social play on Google+.

Google Chrome Web Store now live with over 200 games to play

As reported yesterday on gamezplay, Google have launched their latest foray into the video games market with Google Chrome Web Store.

 

Scrabble gadget on iGoogle also on Mobile Devices, Social Networking Sites, Handheld Gaming Platforms, Xbox Live Arcade and Online

Electronic Arts announce SCRABBLE is launching on iGoogle in conjunction with the support of Opensocial, which offers users a more powerful and interactive way to play games on their iGoogle homepage, personal websites or desktop for quick pick-up-and-play fun. The new social features on iGoogle allow users to share content, play games and collaborate with friends on their personal homepage. SCRABBLE as a gadget is the 6th official version of the Hasbro owned SCRABBLE franchise launched by EA to give fans of the game a vast array of ways to play.

The SCRABBLE gadget customized for iGoogle provides the authentic game experience as well as an intuitive interface that allows head-to-head challenges against friends and family (based on subset of Google contacts). Gameplay is asynchronous and allows for up to five simultaneous games. With easy tracking of scores and statistics, one always will know where they rank against their friends as well as the iGoogle community at large. Players also can get help from extensive word lists and choose one of the several flexible speed levels to customize their level of difficulty.

“SCRABBLE is one of the most beloved and popular games around, so we’re excited it’s among the first games to launch as one of the new gadgets on iGoogle,” said Robert Nashak, Vice President of the Social Games Group. “Our goal at EA is to provide as many ways as possible to play digital versions of SCRABBLE so players can identify what best suits their gaming habits. To date, EA has launched SCRABBLE on mobile devices, social networking sites, online and Xbox Live Arcade. Now with SCRABBLE as a gadget, players can easily add the game to their iGoogle page, which allows for a quick, fun SCRABBLE break during the day.”

"Our goal is to make iGoogle as useful and personalized as possible and adding social elements to gadgets enables our users to have a much richer experience on their personalized homepage," said Marissa Mayer, Vice President of Search Products and User Experience. "We're excited to have EA's SCRABBLE gadget on iGoogle. It's an iconic game that will be fun for our tens of millions of users."

Play SCRABBLE as a gadget here: http://www.google.com/ig/directory?type=gadgets&url=webmayhem.eamobile.com/mayhem/scrabble/igoogle/gadget.xml

SCRABBLE is currently available on several platforms in the US. For mobile phones, SCRABBLE can be purchased via handset or at www.eamobile.com . Specific pricing available at www.eamobile.com. For the iPhone or iPod touch, SCRABBLE can be purchased on the Apple App Store www.itunes.com/appstore. Players can also purchase the game for their Nintendo DS and Sony PlayStation Portable system (PSP) for a MSRP of $19.99. Owners of the Xbox 360 videogame and entertainment system can purchase the game via Xbox LIVE Arcade for 800 Microsoft Points. Online gamers can play the game for free at Pogo.com.

Google push iGoogle games gadgets at GDC next week

Google are to host an event at GDC they say will focus on gaming's "most iconic characters"

Google said...

“We will be creating an interactive experience that will bring the gaming industry’s most iconic characters to life and allow you to ride through their adventures. You’ll hear some of the game publishers involved in the project.

“As an added bonus, you can see an early preview of a few of the games gadgets that developers are building for iGoogle.”

Or maybe there's another great games announcement from Google...

Game Bonsai Blast mobile video game for Free Google G1 T-mobile Android Market

Bonsai Blast, an all new action puzzle game from Glu, will launch on Android, the first complete, open, and free mobile platform. Bonsai Blast will be available only in the Android Market.

“Our work with Android has given us the unique opportunity to explore the capabilities of this exciting new platform,” said Alex Galvagni, senior vice president of global production and chief technology officer, Glu. “By bringing together the technological innovation of Android with the creative and development expertise of Glu, we are now able to provide consumers with a great new gaming experience.”

About Bonsai Blast:
A new original title from Glu, Bonsai Blast is an addictive action-puzzle game that challenges players to shoot and match colored balls to clear more than 20 Zen levels of rich, detailed environments. Bonsai Blast advances the match-three marble popping category with unique features such as:

– Fast-paced action controlled by the touch-screen and accelerometer
– More than 20 levels themed with Water, Fire, Earth and Wind
– Gameplay variations via ricochets, tunnelled chains, and swappable shooter locations
– Gorgeous, detailed graphics which showcase the power of the Android platform

Google launches 3D virtual world

Internet giant Google has launched its own 3D virtual world, called Lively.

Similar to Linden Labs' Second Life, users are able to create avatars and socialise in specially created spaces. Users are able to visit other rooms, leave items for each other and stream photos and video.

"The Lively team wants to help people experience another dimension of the web," said Niniane Wang, engineering manager for Google.

"We hope you will use the product to express yourself with and without words, and to do this in the places you already visit on the web."

Lively runs in an internet browser on PCs with Windows Vista or Windows XP installed, and uses a plugin which uses Emergent's Gamebryo engine.

"Prior to this release, we worked closely with Arizona State University," revealed Wang.

"Based on feedback from ASU students and with help from the Google Desktop team, we added support for playing YouTube videos in virtual TVs and showing photos in virtual picture frames inside our rooms. Better yet, the gadgets you have in your Lively rooms can also run on your desktop," he detailed.

Source: Games Industry

Google coming to PSP with 4.0 update

Google is heading to the PlayStation Portable and will have a place on the handheld's Cross Media Bar (XMB) menu, Sony said Tuesday.

It will appear when users upgrade their PSPs to the version 4 firmware, which will be available "soon," according to Eric Lempel, director of the PlayStation Network, who was posting on Sony's PlayStation Blog.

"This new upgrade replicates the Google Internet search experience, delivering the same search results that you'd get at www.google.com. And with a search history recall of 20 items, Web searches couldn't be easier," he wrote.

Google will appear in the network section of the XMB. Also new in the version 4 firmware will be the ability to change viewing speed when playing back videos from Memory Stick cards.

Sony has regularly offered updates to the firmware of the PlayStation Portable since it was launched and through such updates has added a host of new features. Previous updates have added features such as a Web browser and support for a wider range of video formats.

Source: The Standard

Google expanding ad empire to computer games

Google said Thursday it is testing ways to deliver ads in computer games but declined to comment on the Internet buzz that it will be in the market by year's end.

"We think this rich environment is a perfect medium to deliver relevant, targeted advertising that ultimately benefits the user, the video game publisher and the advertiser," the Internet colossus said in a written response to an AFP query.

"We are currently in tests to determine the best approach to in-game advertising."

Google, the undisputed king of Internet search advertising, has been using portions of its wealth to expand its realm into newspaper, radio, "smart" phones, and video games.

Google bought in-game advertising firm AdScape for 23 million dollars in February.

Advertising in video games is considered a powerful marketing tool because messages can be tailored to precise demographic groups and players focus intensely on game scenes, remembering what they see there.

A player of a shooter game could be scouring a virtual cafeteria for enemies and find one hiding behind a vending machine emblazoned with soda or candy brands.

Billboards featured along streets in racing games could bear real advertising geared to car lovers.

As video games are played on consoles or computers linked to the Internet, ads can be routinely updated. It is essential, according to game makers, that ads cause no disruption to play.

"We are working with publishers to help advertisers reach their target audiences while maintaining a high quality, engaging user experience," Google said.

While Google declined to reveal specific in-game ad plans, website GigaOm contends the California firm will launch a version of its ad platform with a computer game next month.

PlayStation video game consoles maker Sony last month created a unit devoted to developing "dynamic" in-game advertising that can be modified via the Internet.

Microsoft bought in-game ad firm Massive last year and sells in-game advertising through the Xbox Live platform that connects online to the US technology firms video game consoles.

Video game console makers Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft have control over the delivery of advertising to games played on their hardware.

Microsoft profits surge on Halo 3

Above: Master Chief, Halo 3, Wallpaper
Microsoft shares soared to a six-year high in New York last night, after the software giant lifted its profits for the full-year, off the back of record quarterly revenue growth.

The group reported a 27pc rise in revenue to $13.76bn (£6.71bn) for the three months to the end of September – the fastest growth of any first quarter since 1999, driven by strong demand for video game Halo 3, and Windows Vista.

Master Chief, one of the game's key characters
Halo 3 has enjoyed phenomenal success, becoming the fastest-selling video game in history earlier this month, after notching up $300m worth of sales in its first week.

Meanwhile, the development of Vista has been a torturous five-year project, costing Microsoft $6bn and arriving a year late.

However, Kevin Johnson, president of the platform and services division at Microsoft, said yesterday: "Customer demand for Windows Vista this quarter continued to build with double-digit growth in multi-year agreements by businesses and with the vast majority of consumers purchasing premium editions."

Microsoft's business division, and its server and tool arm saw combined revenue climb 20pc, thanks to robust demand for the 2007 Microsoft Office system, Windows Server and SQL Server – as well as Vista.

Overall, first-quarter sales beat market expectations by more than $1bn. Chris Liddell, chief financial officer, said: "The fiscal year is off to an outstanding start with the fastest revenue growth of any first quarter since 1999. Operating income growth of over 30pc also reflects our ability to translate revenue into profits while making strategic investments for the future."

Looking ahead, the group said it expects profits of $1.78 to $1.81 a share for the full-year, on sales of $58.8bn to $59.7bn.

The group's shares jumped as much as 13pc to $36.02 yesterday – a price last seen in July 2001.

Earlier this week, Microsoft saw off competition from rival Google to secure a stake in Facebook, in a deal which values the social networking site at $15bn.

Source: The Telegraph

Google AdSense and video games

Bafta 195, Piccadily, London - 23rd October - 8.30 - 5pm

Tiga is pleased to announce that Eva Woo Product Marketing Manager of Google Adsense will be flying over from the US to be a keynote speaker at Tiga’s Cross Media Conference ‘Working with Games’ on the 23rd October.

Eva will give the general audience an idea of where Google are headed with games content. She will also describe how publishers and developers can monetize even further their game property in areas such as ‘Gadgets’.

Other speakers from TV, film, advertising and games include Endemol, BBC, 19 Agency, Ubisoft, TT Games and advertising agency BBH.

This event is kindly supported with funding from the London Development Agency. Other partners include PACT, BAFTA and Scottish Enterprise.

Top 25 Most Popular Video Game Sites September 2007

When it comes to video game sites, we've found that many casual gamers regard the sites they happen to frequent as gospel, and therefore feel they have little to no use for other sites. However, as the truly elite gamers know many sites publish unique information that you just cannot find duplicated elsewhere. Therefore, to be truly informed you need to be armed with as many informative sites as you can. To that end, we at eBizMBA here provide you with the Top 25 Video Game sites ranked by a combination of Inbound Links, Google Page Rank, Alexa Rank, and U.S. traffic data from Compete and Quantcast.

Read the list at ebizmba