Gaming for Good: Zynga partners with Save The Children to help Japan

Mar 14, 2011 by Dan Taylor    3 Comments    Posted under: Games

Social gaming giant Zynga has recently announced a fundraising initiative in partnership with Save The Children to help raise money for the Japan Earthquake Tsunami Children Emergency Fund. Zynga is promoting the program across seven of it’s most popular titles, with the potential to reach over 250 million gamers. Zynga will donate 100 percent of the purchase price of newly created virtual items to the aforementioned fund. And as Zynga’s primary operating platform is Facebook, the Palo Alto, CA. based social networking service has agreed to pass 100 percent of it’s cut via Facebook Credits to this specific campaign.

“It’s inspiring to see the Zynga teams spontaneously take action to partner with our game players worldwide to help Japan,” said Mark Pincus, CEO and Founder of Zynga. “We hope that the millions of people who connect through our games every day will also take action to connect with Japan as we saw them do with our Haiti relief efforts.”

Games included and specific conditions:

• Café World: Players cans place Japanese inspired decorations in their Café to benefit the initiative.
• CityVille: Citizens can plant a limited edition sweet potato crop to feed their population and stock their restaurants
• FrontierVille: Players can buy a limited edition Kobe cow to place in their frontier.
• FarmVille: Farmers can plant a limited edition daikon radish crop that never withers.
• Words With Friends: Players can donate directly by clicking on a Save the Children button inside the game.
• YoVille: Players can purchase homes and furniture inspired by Japanese architecture and design.
• Zynga Poker: Fans going for a royal flush can donate by purchasing access to a VIP table.
• zBar: Players can donate directly by clicking on a Save the Children button inside the bar that sits across the top of their game on Facebook.

Zynga has also indicated that more limited edition items will be rolled out over the coming days, thus allowing players more options that suit their preference, while still being able to contribute to the campaign.

For more information about the program, please visit Save The Children directly at savethechildren.org/japanzynga.

Razer turns on the tunes with Ferox

Jan 25, 2011 by Dan Taylor    No Comments    Posted under: Games

Announced today, gaming peripheral specialist Razer has taken a departure from their traditional keyboard and mouse offerings, and now serving up portable audio. The Razer Ferox ultraportable stereo speakers deliver 360 degrees of omni-directional sound, offering gamers an attractive alternative to headphones.

The room-filling 360 degree speakers provide users with a greatly expanded listening “sweet spot” when compared to front firing speakers of similar size. Whether you’re going deep undercover in an action shooter, or enjoying a quiet moment of fishing in Stormwind, the Ferox promises to provide the same immersive experience, no matter what the volume level.

“The Razer Ferox is our sophisticated, modern day boombox for gamers,” said Robert Krakoff, president, Razer USA. “Its sleek and compact structure takes up minimal space but delivers the crystal clear sound quality perfect for gaming on-the-go or for music playback wherever you’re at.”

Not only does the Ferox promise room filling sound, but they’re able to back it up with physical size. Featuring one touch expandable resonance chambers, these tiny speakers provide deeper bass and optimized digital amplifiers for a richer sound experience. Ok, maybe not room filling in size, but certainly in sound. Let me reiterate; push a button, bass chambers expand. Swuh-eet!

With a 12 hour (rechargeable) battery life, Razer platforms the Forex to be used in space constrained desktop setups, LAN parties, or simply enjoying your favorite tunage on the go.

Razer Ferox features:

• 360 degree omni-directional sound for all round clarity
• Expanded bass resonance chamber for powerful bass
• Digital amplification for enhanced power efficiency
• Compatible with any media player with a 3.5mm jack
• 30mm drivers for exceptional audio quality
• Rechargeable non-replaceable in-built batteries
• Up to 12 hours of playback
• Play and charge simultaneously
• LED battery status indicator for easy monitoring
• Seamless switch between On/Off-mode
• Carrying pouch for maximum portability

Priced at $59.00, the Razer Ferox are now available via Razerzone.com.

Sackboy is back in action with LittleBigPlanet2

Jan 18, 2011 by Dan Taylor    1 Comment     Posted under: Games

Sony Computer Entertainment America has announced the anticipated sequel to their hit series LittleBigPlanet is now exclusively available to PlayStation 3 owners. LittleBigPlanet 2 was developed by Media Molecule, and provides SackFans with new ways to play, create, and share their user-generated content. According to Sony, this type of gameplay has never been seen before, specifically in regards to level control and customization features.

“Since the launch of LittleBigPlanet, our online community has uploaded over three million levels to the PlayStation Network, with creations popping up everyday that continue to amaze,” said Scott A. Steinberg, vice president, product marketing, in a statement. “With LittleBigPlanet 2, players now have the ability to create actual games across different genres, so it will be very exciting to see what our community can come up with. LittleBigPlanet 2 also boasts a brand new story mode for Sackboy to explore that, coupled with the millions of user-created levels online, provides an endless entertainment experience that can be enjoyed by the entire family.”

PLAY

The newest iteration of Sackboy’s adventures begins with a completely new story mode that provides users with a feature rich reshaped world to play in and explore. 40 story levels across 6 different themes make up the campaign, with each level influenced by cultural points in history, and presented in a visually rich environment provided via a completely revamped graphics engine. Play themes include:

• Techno Renaissance
• Steampunk and Cake
• Neon Propaganda
• Fluffy High-Tech
• Designer Organic
• Hand-made Arcade

In other words…if you thought LittleBigPlanet I was eye candy, wait until you get your eyeballs on v2.

CREATE

In create mode, Sony has taken cues from previous user creations, and allowed for users to create their own games, no longer just levels. Players can completely customize their experience with the ability to reset controller buttons for any object and change the rules associated with any level using the Controlinator. New multiplayer abilities really open of the potential of social gaming, allowing for any type of game play imaginable (and creatable) including racing games, flying games, shooters, puzzle games, sports, etc. With LittleBigPlanet II, players are bound only by their creativity.

SHARE

And last, but certainly not least, LittleBigPlanet II’s sharing features. The new sharing experience allows gamers to spend less time searching and more time playing…millions of new levels and games created by fellow LBP players from around the world. To facilitate this, Sony has introduced LBP.me, a new social networking platform dedicated solely to LittleBigPlanet players. Each and every level and/or game that is created within LittleBigPlanet, receives it’s own page on the site, thus allowing users to quickly and easily find and play content. But that’s only one half of the story. Players can peruse content at LBP.me from the office, the campus, on the go, etc, and add it to their queue. Once connected to the PlayStation Network on their PS3, users will see this queue, and can instantly jump to their pre-selected content.

Naturally, Sony’s tossed in a few new features for Sackboy himself to enjoy, including a Grapple hook that allows him to swing across large gaps and pulling small objects towards him. The new Grabinator can pick objects up and throw them, and the customizable Creatinator can produce just about anything under the sun.

And just for added measure, LittleBigPlanet II now features a Music Sequencer, allowing players to not only compose their own music, but to connect in-game objects to these musical compositions. Budding Mozart’s now no longer need to be pulled away from their favorite title.

World of Warcraft: Cataclysm tops 4.7 million sales in one month

Jan 10, 2011 by Dan Taylor    1 Comment     Posted under: Games

Blizzard Entertainment has recently announced that the third installment of their popular MMORPG title World of Warcraft: Cataclysm has sold more than 4.7 million copies within it’s first month of release. This juggernaut title has now officially set a new record in the PC-game sales category.

Setting records is nothing new to Blizzard, and it appears as though they were on the hunt to truly out do themselves this time around. Cataclysm was launched simultaneously in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Europe, Russia, SouthEast Asia, Australia, and New Zealand this past December 7th. With Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, and Korea coming online just 2 days later, Blizzard pulled off a record 3.3 million units sold in one day.

This data was garnered from Blizzard company records and reports from trusted key distributors. Blizzard also included digital distribution figures in this data. This new record shatters the previous one day sales record, held by … you guessed it, Blizzard, specifically in relation to their second WoW expansion pack: World of Warcraft, Wrath of the Lich King.

“We created thousands of new quests, introduced new lands to explore, and extensively revamped the game world for World of Warcraft: Cataclysm, making it our biggest and most ambitious expansion yet,” said Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment in a statment. “We’ve been floored by the community’s response so far, and we’d like to thank them for their continued passion and support for World of Warcraft, and for helping Cataclysm reach this incredible milestone.”

While exact figures are never disclosed by Blizzard, they’ve previously reported that the World of Warcraft franchise has peaked at 12 million players from around the world (again, no word if this is active players, and does not mention multiple characters tied to the same account). As we’ve seen the gradual free-to-play-ification of the gaming industry over the past few years, Blizzard is one of the very few remaining online gaming companies that has stuck to it’s “Subscription only” based monetization model.

Sony brings Sports Illustrated swimsuits to homes everywhere – in 3D!

Jan 6, 2011 by Dan Taylor    No Comments    Posted under: Games, Technology

For the first time ever, fans of Sports Illustrated’s annual swimsuit issue will no longer have to view their favorite bathing beauties on the pages of their Sports mag, but in stunning 3D video. The 3D eye-candy is part of an exclusive deal signed between Sony Network Entertainment and Sports Illustrated, and leverages Sony’s unique technology, content, products and services one-two punch.

Launching in conjunction with the print version, the SI swimsuit 2011 issue hits streets and screens this coming February 15th. The 3D Swimsuit video will be available for rental or purchase via the PlayStation Network’s video delivery service on the PlayStation 3 (PS3), as well as their “Video On Demand powered by Qriocity” 3D compatible and network enabled BRAVIA HDTVs and blu-ray players. While aimed at the 3D market, Sony ensures that a 2D version of the video will be available, as well as a free three-minute sneak peak will become available later this year.

“Just when you think the bar couldn’t get any higher for the Swimsuit franchise, we’ve raised it once again with our partners at Sony,” said Mark Ford, President of the Sports Illustrated Group. “Swimsuit in 3D has extraordinary potential and we’re thrilled to deliver its millions of fans a new perspective through the exciting world of 3D video.”

And if smokin’ hot ladies in binikis isn’t enough for you, Sony has tossed in the entire kitchen sink, with 12+ hours of additional footage available for rent or purchase. This additional content includes a 1 hour “Making of” segment, as well as four 30 minute shorts featuring the 2011 Swimsuit photo shoot locations, presumably, in case you’re ready to make some hot shots yourself. These additional features also focus on the history of Sports Illustrated’s Swimsuit issue. PS3 owners can purchase SI swimsuit focused Dynamic Themes that cover iconic SI model photos from the 1990s (mmmm…Elle MacPherson).

“The combination of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit brand with the amazing 3D capabilities of Sony’s network-enabled devices makes for a great consumer entertainment experience,” said Tim Schaaff, President, Sony Network Entertainment. “We strive to deliver unique content to our users, and are delighted to offer this first-of-its-kind high definition 3D Swimsuit video.”

SAFE Online IP finds similarities in Zynga and CrowdStar code

Jan 4, 2011 by Dan Taylor    No Comments    Posted under: Games

Cupertino, CA based Software Analysis & Forensic Engineering Corporation, or SAFE for short, has announced the results of a case study they’ve recently conducted that show similarities in the source code between social gaming giant Zynga’s FarmVille and competitor CrowdStar’s popular Happy Aquarium titles. The report shows what SAFE is calling, “interesting correlations” between the source code for the two titles, even after third party code, commonly used identifier names, automatically generated code, common algorithms, and common authors were excluded from the scan. In other words, all the “Secret Sauce” that makes one title a hit, and another not, are showing similarities too close to ignore, according to SAFE.

“One of the challenges for accurate forensic analysis of software IP is access to source code,” said Bob Zeidman, president of SAFE Corporation. “A unique characteristic of social games is that the source code is accessible online because of the technology used to develop and deliver the games. Using our proprietary online IP preprocessing tools with CodeSuite, we have created a service to proactively monitor this kind of online IP for copyright infringement.”

Zeidman also points out, however, that although there may be code similarities, this case study presented by SAFE does not confirm that nefarious actions took place, only that the matter deserves further inquiry. A nice way of saying, “Something’s going on here, but we’re not quite sure what. Yet.”

In SAFE’s tests they found that 116 out of 160 lines of FarmVille’s routine code matched those of Happy Aquarium.

Zynga's FarmVille code compared to Crowd Star's Happy Aquarium

In contrast, when Happy Aquarium’s code was put head to head with Digital Chocolate’s Millionaire City, there was zero code correlation between the two.

Digital Chocolate’s Millionaire City compared with CrowdStar’s Happy Aquarium

“IP protection is an important element of an online game company’s business. Monitoring online infringing activity can present numerous challenges. A service that proactively monitors such activities can help companies make sure they are protecting their rights to compete fairly in a newly emerging space,” adds Neel Chatterjee from Orrick, Herrington & Sutfcliffe LLP.

SAFE’s entire case study of social games, as seen from an IP perspective can be downloaded upon request (read: lead generation) directly from SAFE.

Gran Turismo 5 sells 5.5 million copies

Dec 10, 2010 by Dan Taylor    No Comments    Posted under: Games

Sony Computer Entertainment is reporting that the long awaited Gran Turismo 5 has sold over 5.5 million copies worldwide since it’s release only 12 days ago. With this milestone, the Gran Turismo franchise history now counts over 60 million units sold as of December 6th, 2010. Overall, Polyphony Digital and Sony achieved this number 12 years and 11 months after the initial début of Gran Turismo in December of 1997. A noble feat, considering there was a 5 year wait between the 4th and 5th installments of the titles.

According to Japanese gaming focused site AndriaSang.com, 486,389 of the 5.5 million units were sold in Japan, indicating that there’s a strong demand for the world’s premier driving simulator outside of it’s country of origin.

When it comes to the in-total 60 million units shipped front, Sony clarifies and notes that these sales numbers are derived from PlayStation, PlayStation 2, and PS3, as well as their portable unit, the PSP; racking up a massive 61.41 million units sold.

Despite the complaints (myself included) surrounding the widespread technical issues surrounding the online player vs. player, Gran Turismo took home top honors in the Best Selling category for the month of November, and as of December 4th, still holds the number 3 slot, just below Wii Sports, and above Kinect Adventures!

Gran Turismo 5 release date confirmed

Nov 12, 2010 by Dan Taylor    2 Comments    Posted under: Games

Fans of Polyphony Digital’s long awaited 5th installment of their Gran Turismo series have something to cheer about. While it’s not the first time that Sony Online Entertainment has promised delivery of the real-life driving simulator, it looks like they mean it for real this time.

Sony Online Entertainmant sent out the official word today that speed freaks and cruisers alike can dive right into their favorite driving simulator as of Wednesday, November 24th.

Over it’s history, Gran Turismo has shipped over 56 million units worldwide, and has been lauded as the authority on driving simulators. GT’s real life graphics, authentic physics technology and design have all led to revolutionizing the racing game category. Driving the Gran Turismo series is none other than professional racing driving and video game designer Kazunori Yamauchi. In addition to giving gamers a high quality racing experience, Gran Turismo is also seen as a highly desirable platform for auto manufacturers to showcase their cars and accessories on.

“Gran Turismo 5 is an ambitious project, with challenges and complexities which have made it our version of the Apollo Space Program!” commented Kazunori Yamauchi, President of Polyphony Digital Inc. “When we created the original Gran Turismo back in 1997, we wanted to set a completely new precedent for the racing genre. With the technological leap onto PlayStation 3, our objective with Gran Turismo 5 was to create another great revolution which would not only satisfy our own high expectations, but would meet or even exceed the anticipation of the fans.”

GT5 will feature the world’s most famous racetracks, all rendered in gorgeous high definition, with Polyphony Digital claiming that it’s, “as vivid as the real thing.” Classic circuits including Autumn Ring, Deep Forest Raceway, and the Grand Valley Speedway have found a home in the newest version of the Gran Turismo franchise, as well as real-world courses including the Nurburgring and Laguna Seca.

Over 1,000 cars will be on tap, ranging from legends of yesteryear right on through to today’s bleeding edge of automotive technology. Starting November 24th, horsepower hungry gearheads can get their hands on the Lamborghini Murcielago LP 670-4 SuperVeloce, the Lexus LFA, and the McLaren MP4-12C.

“Satisfying the loyal Gran Turismo followers is at the heart of all of our efforts, which is why it was such a difficult decision to delay the release of the game, and one which we did not take lightly. I can only apologize to everyone for making you wait so long, and I hope that when you try out the wealth of driving experiences available in Gran Turismo 5, you will not be disappointed,” adds Yamauchi.

More info and full car and track specs can be found at gran-turismo.com.