Hello Games Criticizes Social Games With ‘Pyramid Scheme Elements’

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There’s no doubting that Zynga’s games have been popular, but some people are critical that the game design lacks panache. Hello Games head Sean Murray thinks that creativity is as important as a good business model.

“Some game developers, they don’t play their own games, they don’t feel it’s an expression of themselves,” said Murray at Evolve In London. “I think that’s very sad. I think some of the gameplay mechanics that are in the social gaming space are more indicative of that, there are certain pyramid scheme elements to the game design that I don’t think anyone who just wanted to make a game that they themselves would play would ever put that in.”

“The social games of the future that are just built around rewards and pyramid schemes… maybe don’t have as much a place in that world,” he added.

Murray also noted that while motion control can be great, some games do it improperly or offer something like Kinect Joy Ride, which barely seems to react to player input. “It’s such as shame, it’s such a lost opportunity,” said Murray. “It is actually a good game, but there’s a danger of making games too casual and removing interactivity, and you see that sometimes. I think even the casual gamer doesn’t want to just have reward.”

Source: GamesIndustry.biz

Angry Birds Gets Bad Piggy Bank

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Rovio has launched a new payment system for their games. The Angry Birds developer is working with Elisa on the Bad Piggy Bank, which will allow for simple one touch payments that simply bill a user’s mobile bill, removing the need for registration or a credit card.

“Angry Birds has become the benchmark in casual mobile gaming, and a huge part of the whole game experience is convenience,” said Mikael Hed, chief executive.

The Bad Piggy Bank will launch first in Finland and then worldwide next year.

Source: VentureBeat

iPad 2 Getting Two Cameras, Say Sources

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Sources are saying that touchscreen chip designer Wintek Corp, battery maker Simplo Technology Co Ltd and AVY Precision, an unlisted maker of covers for electronic products, are working on making the next iPad. The new design of the iPad is said to have two cameras: one on the front and one on the back.

“It makes sense for these suppliers to begin delivering their goods in February,” said Steven Tseng, an analyst at RBS in Taipei. “I think Steve Jobs will announce the new product in January, and we should see the new product hitting shops in about April.”

Source: Reuters

Final Fantasy XIV Seeing Massive Overhaul

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Final Fantasy XIV recently released on the PC, and it was almost universally panned by critics. This has resulted in director Nobuaki Komoto and producer Hiromichi Tanaka being reassigned and replaced by Naoki Yoshida.

“While more than two months have passed since the official launch of Final Fantasy XIV service, we deeply regret that the game has yet to achieve the level of enjoyability that Final Fantasy fans have come to expect from the franchise, and for this we offer our sincerest of apologies,” wrote Square Enix CEO Yoichi Wada. “After thorough deliberation on how to meet those expectations, it was decided that the most viable step was to approach improvements under new leadership and with a restructured team.”

“To realize this vision, and in doing so, provide our customers with a better game experience, we have assembled our company’s top talent and resources,” added Wada. “Taking over the role of producer and director is Naoki Yoshida, a passionate individual for whom customer satisfaction has always taken top priority. Not only is he one of our Group’s most accomplished and experienced members, Naoki Yoshida is also a charismatic leader possessing the skill to bring together and effectively helm a team which encompasses a wide range of responsibilities. We also welcome several new leaders handpicked from other projects to work with the existing talent on Final Fantasy XIV.”

“That’s not the only drastic move being made: the PS3 version of the game is also getting pushed back until March 2011. We realize time is of the essence and are fully determined to provide our customers with quality service. It is because of this that we ask our customers to be patient until we are able to confidently present them with a concrete plan outlining Final Fantasy XIV‘s new direction. The free trial period will be extended until that time, said Wada. Regarding the PlayStation 3, it is not our wish to release a simple conversion of the Windows version in its current state, but rather an update that includes all the improvements we have planned. For that reason, we have made the difficult decision to delay the release of the PlayStation 3 version beyond the originally announced date of March 2011.”

“The Final Fantasy XIV team is working hard to bring our customers an unparalleled adventure, and we ask for your continued understanding and support as we march ever diligently towards that goal,” concluded Wada.

Source: The Lodestone

Dawn Treader Gets Left Behind

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Left Behind Games announced that they have started their theater advertising campaign for Left Behind 3: Rise of the Antichrist. They’re looking to generate over 1.2 million impressions with ads runnnig before movies like Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.

“This strategic demographic-focused marketing effort targets a concentrated group of Christian entertainment fans,” said LB Games CEO, Troy Lyndon.

Gran Turismo Series Passes 60 Million

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Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. has announced that the Gran Turismo franchise has shipped over 60 million units worldwide as of December 6, 2010. This sales figure was achieved in 12 years and 11 months since the Japanese launch of the first title in the franchise, Gran Turismo, in December 1997.

Additionally, Gran Turismo 5 has shipped 5.5 million units worldwide. Europe is actually far and away the leading region for the game with 3.5 million already shipped; the U.S. has seen 1.2 million and Japan has seen 550,000.

Mass Effect 2 PS3 Day: January 18, 2011

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BioWare has announced that Mass Effect 2 has a confirmed release date for PS3: January 18, 2011 in the U.S. and January 21, 2011 in Europe. The game will have an interactive comic that will catch PS3 players up on the story for the first Mass Effect and generate a save game for them to use in Mass Effect 2.

The PS3 version of Mass Effect 2 will include Lair of the Shadow Broker, Project Overlord, Kasumi: Stolen Memory, along with over a dozen smaller pieces of DLC for free. The game will include three years worth of engine updates and patches and BioWare promises they’re optimizing for the PS3 system.

Source: IGN

NHL Stars Appear In ESRB PSA

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The ESRB announced they are launching a new PSA campaign featuring Stanley Cup Champions Brian Campbell and Patrick Sharp. The two Chicago Blackhawks will explain why using the ESRB rating system is key for parents.

“The ESRB ratings give parents the guidance they need to make sure their kids are playing video games that are right for their age,” commented Sharp. “Brian and I are proud to be a part of this campaign to help educate Chicago’s parents about the ratings, and encouraging that they use them when buying games.”

“There is no denying that video games are popular gift items for kids. And the choices for parents can be overwhelming, especially during the holidays,” says ESRB president Patricia Vance.  “ESRB is committed to educating parents on using ratings information when shopping for video games. The more we can inform parents through programs such as these public service announcements and the incredible support of individuals like Patrick and Brian, the better able they will be to ensure that the games they bring home are OK for their children to play.”