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.

Mass Luminosity to shed light on Games, Tech, and Entertainment Industries

Oct 24, 2010 by Dan Taylor    No Comments    Posted under: Games, Social Media

Former CPL head Angel Muñoz is back at it again, this time bringing detailed branding and metrics services to corporate partners in the technology, entertainment, and video game industries.

Mass Luminosity has already received a seal of approval via Singapore based WoLong Ventures, Pte. Ltd., who recently announced their first round financing of Muñoz’s venture to the tune of $1.5 million.

“We are excited to be part of this new venture,” says WoLong Ventures Chairman of the Board Frank Yong. “Mass Luminosity is developing an impressive array of social media technologies that will assist companies in effectively marketing their brands in the growing environment of social networks.”

Building on his expertise and experience in the gaming world, Muñoz says that one of Mass Luminosity’s initial projects will involve assisting the global resurgence of PC video gaming. Through Mass Luminosity’s efforts, Munoz also wants to help democratize information, thereby facilitation the transformation of content consumers to content providers.

“We are working on a number of technologies to power advance analysis on social media and networking interactions with corporate brands. We are starting from basic formats that power online promotions (giveaways), online media (podcasts, etc.), online TV and Facebook and Twitter interfaces,” comments Muñoz.

Always the visionary, Muñoz also said an in email that iDevices are at the forefront of the Mass Luminosity development schedule. A particularly strong motion, considering that Apple recently announced record Q4 profits, a strong sign that mobility without sacrificing power are quickly becoming derringer for today’s gaming, entertainment, and/or technology professional.

“The greatness of what we are working on is behind the scenes, a multi-platform integrated system that will offer us a wealth of information to offer our audiences exactly what they want,” adds Muñoz.

The Giveaway

Kicking things off with a bang, Mass Luminosity has partnered with Play N Trade, Adrenaline Vault, and Immerz in an exclusive Call of Duty: Black Ops Giveaway. Hailed as one of the hottest titles in the EA arsenal, entrants have the chance to win one of three stellar Call of Duty: Black Ops prizes:

• One (1) GRAND PRIZE winner will receive: one (1) Xbox 360 Slim AND one (1) Call of Duty: Black Ops Xbox game AND one (1) KOR-fx from Immerz AND one (1) Call of Duty: Black Ops apparel item.
• One (1) first prize winner will receive one (1) Call of Duty: Black Ops game (choice PS3 or Xbox) and one (1) KOR-fx from Immerz and and one (1) Call of Duty: Black Ops apparel item.
• One (1) runner up winner will receive one (1) Call of Duty: Black Ops game (choice PS3 or Xbox) and one (1) Call of Duty: Black Ops apparel item.

For the record, yes that Grand Prize includes an Xbox 360 Slim. Wow!

The giveaway expires on November 3, 2010, or about 10 days from this posting. Winners will be announced by Turks and Co. on the Avault Podcast on Friday, November 5, 2010.

Mind Tech demos Master Mind application

Oct 6, 2010 by Dan Taylor    No Comments    Posted under: Games

On the surface, it sounds like something straight out of a classic science fiction novel – the ability to control things with ones’ mind. Up until a few years ago, this would have been true. However, Mind Technologies has completed a video demonstrating the company’s’ “Master Mind” – a gaming application that allows users to play PC games sans mouse and/or keyboard.

The video demonstrates gamers interacting with, and controlling their character in the popular shooter Call Of Duty. While videos can certainly be faked, I’ve watched this one over and over, and can’t detect any bots or auto commands running – much less any fancy CGI.

According to Mind Technologies Inc., the Master Mind application works through interpreting brainwaves via an EEG headpiece the gamer wears, reading and sending electrical signals to the PC via USB. Thus, the thought “forward” has it’s own unique signature wavelength, backwards, left, right, the same. That’s not to say that each individual has the same brainwave as the next guy, as the Master Mind application does take a bit of setup, as the software and device must be calibrated through basic movements and commands. These brainwaves are measured and remembered during a tutorial the gamer must complete before delving into their title of choice.

Admittedly, there is a bit of cheese behind the video, and I believe the presentation could use quite a bit of work. Regardless of the production quality of the video, the technology that’s featured has a promising future. I’m not quite sure that every gamer around the work will adopt such a device, and Mind Technologies certainly runs the risk of becoming a novelty item (Nintendo Virtual Boy), but I do believe that there’s certainly something here that could have a ton of potential. If not gaming, there are a staggering number of other possibilities for the technology.

U.S. Mobile Gamers Smartphone Data

Apr 16, 2010 by Dan Taylor    1 Comment     Posted under: Games

Industry leading metrics firm ComScore recently released their mobile gaming study data, with some interesting results. Although ComScore found a 13 percent drop in the number of U.S. mobile gamers over the past year, the same study saw mobile gaming on smartphones surge: up 60 percent. ComScore point out that the overall decline in mobile gamers is driven primarily by a 35 percent decline in mobile gaming on feature phones, which currently dominate the market with 80 percent.

“Although the number of mobile gamers has declined in the past year, there is reason for significant optimism about the future of this market,” said Mark Donovan, comScore SVP Mobile and senior analyst. “As the market transitions from feature phones to smartphones, the dynamics of gameplay are also shifting towards a higher quality experience. As a result, we can expect to see a profound increase in adoption of this activity, both in terms of audience size and overall engagement.”

Smartphone owners are heavy on mobile games

The ComScore data also found that smartphone owners are three times more likely than feature phone owners to play games on their device at least once a month. These same smartphone owners are more than five times more likely to play games almost every day.

Perhaps owing to the ease, smartphone owners also install significantly more games on their devices with 27.3 percent having installed at least one game, as compared to feature phone owners, who came in at a paulty 5.6 percent. Moreover, 33 percent of smartphone owners that install games have more than five games on their phone at any given time. By contrast, less than 1 percent of feature phone owners have more than 5 games installed.

“Smartphones offer a more accessible and compelling mobile gaming experience that is enabling adoption of this behavior, even among consumers who have not traditionally been gamers,” added Donovan. “Marketers and advertisers ought to be paying close attention to the opportunity this presents for reaching consumers in new and engaging ways in a cross-platform environment. The potential for highly creative marketing efforts is exciting.”

Arcade Puzzle games take top priority

In each area of gaming surveyed, smartphone owners are playing the pants off their feature phone counterparts. The games genre with the highest usages among smartphone owners is Arcade Puzzle games, garnering 12.9 percent of the market. Second place belongs to Card games (11.9 percent), Word/Number games in third (11.4 percent), Casino games scores fourth on players’ go-to list (7.6 percent), and Retro Arcade titles round out the top five (6.3 percent).

Casual vs. Hardcore

The ComScore study found that while casual games have a higher penetration rate over hardcore gaming titles and genres (sports, racing, action/adventure, FPS), the hardcore games exhibit a significantly higher adoption rate among smartphone owners.

Gaming Industry vet Stevie Case launches StevieFTW podcast

Apr 1, 2010 by Dan Taylor    1 Comment     Posted under: Games, News

If you’re a long time gamer, chances are you know, Stevie Case. She’s been deeply involved in the gaming industry for over 10 years now, with her initial success stemming from a triumphant win over John Romeo, creator of the all-time classic, genre-defining title: Quake.

During the 1990’s Stevie was a pre-law student at the University of Kansas by day, and hardcore gamer by night. She joined the ranks of the Cyberathlete Professional League (CPL), and holds the honor of being the first ever professional female gamer. Post world gaming tours, Stevie moved into game development rolls, and eventually found herself in the world of High Tech Management. She currently juggles the hectic pace of heading up business development at microtransactions software provider, as well as being a full time mom “and loving it,” says Case.

Partnering with NewWorld.com, Stevie has recently signed a two-year agreement to host a weekly podcast, appropriately titled Stevie FTW. The podcast will focus on not only gaming, but the high tech lifestyle including web culture, digital media, and the latest gadgets and tech trends. Not solely bound to tech, Stevie will seek to cross her passions for adventure, food, wine, travel and more with her unique industry experiences.

The StevieFTW podcast officially launched yesterday, March 31st, and will air every Wednesday. Her initial guest, none other than gaming industry icon Cliff Bleszinski of Epic Games. Bleszinski is one of the driving forces behind the Unreal franchise, as well as the Gears of War series. If this isn’t a high bar to set in an inaugural episode – I don’t know what is. I, for one, can’t wait to see where she goes from here.

“This is something that I’ve done for years, just not in Podcast form,” says Case. “There’s all this great info floating around in my, and others’, heads, and so the option to put it down on tape [so to speak] was a no-brainer. “

Catch Stevie FTW at stevieftw.com. No iTunes stream has been set up yet, but Case assures me it’ll be there “very soon”. You can also stay up to date with Stevie FTW on Twitter and Facebook.

4/4/10 Update: Here’s the Stevie FTW iTunes Podcast link.

Why we should thank, and hate, Pirates

Mar 22, 2010 by Dan Taylor    2 Comments    Posted under: Music, News, Technology

The Crime

Matthew Chow, a member of the infamous “Rabid Neurosis”, or RNS as they were better known, has been found ‘not guilty’ by a jury of his peers. Chow was on trial for the charge of ‘conspiracy to commit criminal copyright infringement’. In other words…Digital Piracy Yarrrrrr!

According to the federal indictment, authorities claimed that RNS was the world’s largest music piracy ring. Between [at least]1999 and 2007, Chow and co-conspirators illegally uploaded thousands of copyright-protected music files, which were provided by music industry insiders. In 1996, RNS released their first file, Metallica’s Ride the Lightning (Yes, this WAS one of the bugs up Lars Ulrich’s ass), and finished their 11 year run with Fall Out Boy’s Infinity on High. The group’s most notable claim-to-piracy-fame was the early leak of Eminem’s Encore album.

Federal authorities charged Chow with one count of conspiracy to commit copyright infringement, which carries a maximum prison sentence of five years, and a $250,000 fine. Moreover, Chow could have been ordered to pay restitution to the RIAA, the only named victim in the crime.

“I am relieved by the jury’s verdict and I am grateful to my attorney for his hard work,” says Chow. Houston attorney Terry W. Yates, who represented Matthew Chow comments, “We encountered some extremely complex factual and legal issues in this case. The jury was very attentive during the trial. Their verdict was just.”

In total, six members of RNS were charged with offenses. Patrick L. Saunders was charged on Aug. 14th, 2009, and plead guilty. James A. Dockery was charged on Sept. 8th, 2009. Adil R. Cassim, Bennie Glover, Matthew D. Chow, and Edward L. Mohan were all charged on Sept. 9th, 2009. Only Chow and Cassim were found not guilty. The remaining four pled guilty to copyright infringement charges, three of which turned state’s evidence and testified for the government in the Houston trial.

Lessons learned

Sooooo…what can we learn from this? There’s a number of things (both right and wrong) going on in this mess. I often wonder Karlheinz Brandenburg had any idea how his work might effect the lives, carriers, criminal records, of thousands and thousands of individuals. My thoughts on piracy are this: Find me a computer in this world that doesn’t have at least one pirated line of code on it, and I’ll find you a box to ship it in, because it’s gotta be factory fresh.

I’m not saying that I support music or software piracy, but rather – accept that they are here, and rapidly becoming, if not already, ingrained in our daily lives. I think we all know by now that Musicians aren’t making any money from record sales. The upside to this new economy is that Musicians are making money the old fashioned way, by going out on the road, playing shows, and earning it.  In fact, there are a number of bands that have already embraced this philosophy, and have given away their music (think Coldplay, Radiohead, NIN), and let’s not forget about The Grateful Dead and Phish, who for years, have allowed legal taping and trading of their live performances.

Likewise, the video game industry has been (and will perhaps always be) fraught with disc pirates. The solution? One small company in Korea decided to start giving games away, and charging one small piece at a time. The result? Microtransactions and social gaming as we know them today.

The positive way to look at the entire RIAA and copyright laws, etc. is that yes, it’s going to happen. However, that doesn’t mean that innovation and competition can not drive a better mousetrap. In a way, we all owe pirates a debt of gratitude. In another way, I blame them for the $75 ticket price, and $0.99 for a digital sword.

Pirates. Yarrrrrrr!

Gaming: Size Does Matter

Jan 23, 2010 by Dan Taylor    2 Comments    Posted under: Games, News

According to a report compiled by researchers at several research facilities at the University of Illinois, human propensity for talent in video games can now be determined by measuring three key areas of the brain.

Kirk Erickson, a professor of psychology at the University of Pittsburgh, and first author of the study remarks, “This is the first time that we’ve been able to take a real-world task like a video game and show that the size of specific brain regions is predictive of performance and learning rates on this video game.” Erickson’s article first appeared in the professional journal Cerebral Cortex. He has since been joined by researchers from MIT, Florida State (which is also currently conducting a study on consumers’ virtual goods buying habits), and the University of Illinois.

And while the physical measurements are new, previous research has shown that expert gamers excel in a several measurements of attention and perception when compared to video gaming novices (n00bs). However, other studies have found near negligible results when training novice gamers for 20+ hours, suggesting that the size and structure of the brain itself can predict a players aptitude for success.

Focusing on three individual areas of the brain, the caudate nucleus and the putamen in the dorsal striatum, and the nucleus accumbens in the ventral striatum. The former 2 are deeply involved in motor learning and cognitive flexibility, that is to say, the ability to quickly mentally shift between tasks. The later is responsible for processing emotions associated with good and bad behavior.

Researchers utilized high resolution MRI scans to analyze the size of these specific brain regions in 39 adults aged 18-28 (10 male and 29 female) who spend less than three hours per week playing video games. Measurements of volume were taken from this sample group and compared to the volume of their entire brain.

Using an RPI developed simple shoot and avoid game, half of the participants were asked to go for the highest score possible. The other half of the survey group was asked to shift priorities mid-game, focusing on one aspect for a given time allotment, and then shift to another priority. For example, for 5 minutes participants were directed to score as many points as possible. After these 5 minutes, they were then asked to avoid as much damage as possible, and so on.

The second group most closely models real-world situations (think Bluetooth headset, while parallel parking, while balancing that molten hot cup of Starbucks between your thighs, all while searching for a quarter for the parking meter). Researchers say that this type of “variable priority training” spotlights’ individuals’ mental flexibility in decision making skills.

The results clearly indicated that those with a larger caudate nucleus and putamen did better on the variable point training, while those with a larger nucleus accumbens did better in the early part of the training period, regardless of which group they were segmented into. Researchers were not surprised by the results, pointing to the nucleus accumbens as that part of the brain’s reward center, the central motivator behind playing video games in the first place.

“This study tells us a lot about how the brain works when it is trying to learn a complex task. We can use information about the brain to predict who is going to learn certain tasks at a more rapid rate,” comments Erickson.

Imagine a day when neurological disorders could see a treatment through video game training? Sounds far fetched? If researchers have their way, this could someday soon be a reality. This new research not only gives hope to those suffering from neurological disorders, but may also have implications in a much larger educational context.

New NPD Report lays out Gamer purchasing, playing, and ownership patterns

Sep 15, 2009 by Dan Taylor    13 Comments    Posted under: Games, News, Technology

Leading market research firm, The NPD Group has recently released a report from their Gaming Device Profiles sub-unit, stating that 41 percent of all gamers rely on word of mouth as a source of their video game information. The survey includes data sampled from owners of a variety of gaming platforms, including portable gaming devices, and consequently this word of mouth data varies from owner to owner.

However, collectively, the majority reported relying on what friends and others had to say about their favorite games. In second place with 31 percent, was actual hands on time with the actual game(s) in question. Least influential in gamers’ purchasing decisions? Online and Magazine ads, incentives/coupons, and social networking sites ranked least influential in the survey, barely garnering a 5 percent response.

“When it comes to developing successful games and targeting marketing and promotions, each gaming platform has its own unique challenges and opportunities to consider,” said Anita Frazier, industry analyst, The NPD Group.

Cross Ownership

There once was a time when fanboy-dom ruled, and if you were a Sega player, that’s what you played, and did NOT own a Nintendo. With the introduction of the Wii, Xbox 360, and PS3, gamers are no longer satisfied with one console, and often own at least one, sometimes two, additional gaming consoles. 32 percent of all US gamers own a Nintendo Wii. 26 percent of these Wii owners also own Microsoft’s Xbox 360, 14 percent, a PlayStation 3.

In the number two slot, 20 percent of all US gamers own an Xbox 360. Of these gamers, 42 percent reported owning a Wii, with only 18 percent own a PlayStation 3.

Rounding out the Top 3, PS3 owners make up the minority, with only 10 percent of US gamers calling the PS3 their console of choice. Of this minority, 42 percent report owning a Wii, 34 percent, an Xbox 360.

Who’s Playing?

Placed side by side, the top 3 consoles are being played the most (by a slim majority) by males. The NPD report recorded that 56 percent of the top 3 console players were male, 44 percent female. The largest percentage of gamers fall into the 2-12 age group, with 24 percent, the 25-34 year old group making up 20 percent, and the 35-44 year old age segment taking 17 percent.

What are they playing?

Online

Mimicking the current trend in online game play, in regards to genre, 51 percent of Wii users reported that Card/Puzzle/Arcade/Word games were their favorites. The Xbox 360 and PS3 saw similar results, 39 percent and 42 percent, respectively. However, while these are some large numbers, Shooters took the #1 spot in most commonly played online game genre played by Xbox 360 and PS3 users, with 59 percent and 57 percent of the vote, respectively.

Offline

While certain data correlations can be derived from the above information in regards to overall preferences by console ownership, age, and genre type, when it comes to offline play, here, each console struts it’s own individual feathers. For Wii owners, family-oriented games topped the list, with Racing and Sports games coming in at a close second/third. Xbox 360 owners saw Family-oriented and Action/Adventure titles in a tie as their number one game(s) of choice of offline gameplay. Finally, PS3 owners reported Action/Adventure games, as well as Racing titles as their pixels of choice.

“This report helps to debunk the commonly held belief that casual-type genre games are primarily enjoyed by less serious gamers. This clearly shows that PS3 and 360 users also participate with these genres quite often, even if shooters remain the most commonly played online genre,” said Frazier.