MCV/DEVELOP News, events, research and jobs from the games industry
Services like Call of Duty Elite will become a necessity for future blockbuster games, says Activision. The publisher’s VP of digital Jamie Berger posits that, while Elite is currently positioned as an optional extra for consumers, social networks will one day be essential components to the biggest releases. We believe …
Read More »Mark Zuckerberg: Facebook game virality is back
New split-streams allow gaming back on the front page, without personal feeds affected
Read More »Social gaming rise linked to console decline
Social gaming is directly contributing to the global decline in console software sales, new data suggests, with masses of people playing and spending less on core systems in favour of Facebook games. A survey of 1,400 qualified respondents shows that, contrary to popular belief, 69 per cent of social gamers …
Read More »Revealed: Console decline linked to social surge
Facebook gamers spending less on their consoles; Microtransactions to climb as new 'hardcore social' segment emerges
Read More »EA’s The Sims Social reaches 50m players
EA is edging ever closer to usurping the Facebook games kingpin Zynga, with The Sims Social now reaching more than 50 million monthly active users. Zynga’s Cityville – the most popular game in Facebook’s short but dramatic history – stands atop the leaderboard with 74 million monthly users, according to …
Read More »EA: We’ve redefined social games with The Sims
EA boasts that The Sims Social has redefined the Facebook games market. The franchise has gone from being one of the top-selling boxed games to also become one of the biggest social online titles in less than a month. Over 40m monthly active users have flocked to the new Facebook …
Read More »PlayStation Home to become social games hub
It’s never had the credit it deserved for its success, but Sony has nonetheless decided to revisit its PlayStation Home concept with a brand new redesign. Having lost much of its user base to the rising online social games sector, Sony has said that it now intends to relaunch Home …
Read More »The Sims Social goes live
The game that many think could be EA’s killer social gaming IP is out of beta and has gone live. The publisher says that the free-to-play Facebook game already has just short of 5m monthly active users. The game itself, which was developed by EA-owned studio Playfish, combines the iconic …
Read More »SSX goes big on social connectivity
GAMESCOM: EA has detailed a swathe of new social networking features that will be packed into its upcoming extreme sports title SSX. Called Ridernet, it’s very much modelled on the Autorun system first introduced with Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit. It will allow gamers to compete with friends who are …
Read More »Wooga’s five rules for game loop success
GDC Europe: Social gaming specialist on why 'smart depth' will make your studio a Facebook giant
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