You could also say that a lot of folks scored some sweet gadgets this holiday season. Finnish game maker Rovio told AllThingsD that its ubiquitous Angry Birds game had been downloaded 6.5 million times on Christmas Day. (The website points out that this is nearly the estimated amount of smartphones activated over the holiday.) Yup, Angry Birds is still cool.
"We're really excited to have such a massive number of new people get acquainted with Angry Birds over the holidays--we have exciting new releases lined up for 2012, and can't wait to introduce them to the public," Rovio's Ville Heijari told AllThingsD. The 6.5 million mark combines all paid and free downloads of the three Angry Birds games, and across all platforms, we imagine.
According to AllThingsD, this more than triples Angry Birds' downloads for Christmas 2010. Surely, that's helped by an extra Angry Birds release, but we bet there are a number of reasons why the game's downloads skyrocketed this Christmas. Between air time on several commercials, their visages on every damned t-shirt in Hot Topic and appearances at major cultural events, Angry Birds exposure hit a fever pitch in 2011.
We're also wiling to bet that this is far from the end for the irate avian creatures. More, unique Angry Birds games are reportedly in the works for 2012, and we're still a ways off from that feature film. So, don't expect these furious, flightless (sort of) foul to go away anytime soon.
Thứ Bảy, 18 tháng 2, 2012
Yazino hopes to 'reinvent gambling' with in-sync social casino games
We'll be the first to admit it: Casino games have become a dime a dozen on Facebook recently. From Zynga's own Zynga Poker to Poker Rivals by Playfish and DoubleDown Casino, the sub genre is quickly becoming crowded. (Even PopCap appears keen on the genre.) That said, it's going to take a unique approach for a chance to attract a healthy chunk of that player base.
Yazino, a UK-based social gaming start-up founded in 2008, looks to bring exactly that with what CEO Hussein Chahine calls "in-sync" gaming. Chahine's vision is to have players compete and chat in real time across the web, iOS and Android devices--and Yazino is already doing just that. The seven games Yazino has today all started with a simple idea.
"The idea that we came by is, 'How do we take poker--a very engaging, a lot of emotions, there's a bit of skill when you play--and build an engine that builds completely synchronous games,'" Chahine tells us. "It's dedicated to games that are multiplayer by nature, and people want to play together. In all of the gambling industry, poker was the most powerful."
With that, Chahine and crew opted to create several classic casino games with the real-time competition that poker provides. And it's because of this direct competition that the Yazino chief believes his team works toward games that are truly social. "We have games on social networks, rather than social games," Chahine says. "If we put Solitaire on Facebook, would Solitaire be a social game?"
Blackjack by Yazino
While only two of Yazino's games--Blackjack and Slots Wheel Deal--are available on iOS, all of its games are on Facebook. Well, sort of. The company's seven games appear to be Facebook applications, but when launched redirect to Yazino's own website, which hosts the games complete with your list of Facebook friends and even random matchmaking. So, why take this route? According to Chahine, Facebook simply can't handle synchronous, multiplatform gaming at the moment.
"Synchronous play has a much deeper and more competitive advantage over asynchronous games. Because of the immersive nature of synchronous games, [the Facebook Ticker] is really a distraction, and actually quite annoying," Chahine admits. "It's like you're [watching] a horse race--you only want to know about what the horse is doing. Do I really care about 'Fred is listening to music?' The synchronous nature and intensity of these games require a different ambiance and a different environment."
Hussein ChahineYazino also looks to give players the option to create personal communities within the larger player base. Chahine (pictured right) uses the English football club Manchester United as an example: A group of friends who play in Manchester United together will soon have the option to create their own sub group, complete with its own leader boards. Because of this, along with the prospects of live chat and real-time gameplay across platforms, Chahine tells us that using Facebook directly isn't an option. (However, it's important to take note that this strategy appears to leave Yazino free from the grips of Facebook Credits too.)
Of course (well, at least in the U.S.), players can't cash in on their virtual winnings, as online gambling was effectively outlawed years ago. And apparently, players are actually happy to accept this reality, according to Chahine. The Yazino head also chalks that up to the fact that players can enjoy its games for free through offers and chips provided daily. Giving players the opportunity to play for free is "a big area of focus" for Yazino, Chahine tells us. And according to him, the entire social gaming scene would be different if online gambling hadn't suffered its run-ins with the law before the turn of the decade. Zynga Poker was one of Zynga's first games, after all.
"Zynga is the only player that's not a gambling site that could throw that game. Poker Stars didn't have the opportunity," Chahine tells us. "They were banned from Facebook, so if PokerStars and the other big sites were allowed even from a virtual perspective. So, if they were allowed to enter that market, there's no way Zynga would have had that success with Zynga Poker."
Slots Wheel Deal by Yazin0
In other words, Facebook could have very well been dominated by casino and gambling games if not for Internet gambling's dashed history with the law before and during Facebook's rise. But Yazino isn't interested in real money gambling. Period. (But is it any less real when players can pay for chips, but not see a return?) Regardless, what Chahine says is that Yazino is interested in is to "reinvent gambling in a much more sophisticated way."
"When you play together, our emotions are heightened," Chahine gushes. "It's more amplified, it's more real and we become more competitive. We do believe at Yazino, what we're trying to become is the pioneer of friendly competition."
Yazino, a UK-based social gaming start-up founded in 2008, looks to bring exactly that with what CEO Hussein Chahine calls "in-sync" gaming. Chahine's vision is to have players compete and chat in real time across the web, iOS and Android devices--and Yazino is already doing just that. The seven games Yazino has today all started with a simple idea.
"The idea that we came by is, 'How do we take poker--a very engaging, a lot of emotions, there's a bit of skill when you play--and build an engine that builds completely synchronous games,'" Chahine tells us. "It's dedicated to games that are multiplayer by nature, and people want to play together. In all of the gambling industry, poker was the most powerful."
With that, Chahine and crew opted to create several classic casino games with the real-time competition that poker provides. And it's because of this direct competition that the Yazino chief believes his team works toward games that are truly social. "We have games on social networks, rather than social games," Chahine says. "If we put Solitaire on Facebook, would Solitaire be a social game?"
Blackjack by Yazino
While only two of Yazino's games--Blackjack and Slots Wheel Deal--are available on iOS, all of its games are on Facebook. Well, sort of. The company's seven games appear to be Facebook applications, but when launched redirect to Yazino's own website, which hosts the games complete with your list of Facebook friends and even random matchmaking. So, why take this route? According to Chahine, Facebook simply can't handle synchronous, multiplatform gaming at the moment.
"Synchronous play has a much deeper and more competitive advantage over asynchronous games. Because of the immersive nature of synchronous games, [the Facebook Ticker] is really a distraction, and actually quite annoying," Chahine admits. "It's like you're [watching] a horse race--you only want to know about what the horse is doing. Do I really care about 'Fred is listening to music?' The synchronous nature and intensity of these games require a different ambiance and a different environment."
Hussein ChahineYazino also looks to give players the option to create personal communities within the larger player base. Chahine (pictured right) uses the English football club Manchester United as an example: A group of friends who play in Manchester United together will soon have the option to create their own sub group, complete with its own leader boards. Because of this, along with the prospects of live chat and real-time gameplay across platforms, Chahine tells us that using Facebook directly isn't an option. (However, it's important to take note that this strategy appears to leave Yazino free from the grips of Facebook Credits too.)
Of course (well, at least in the U.S.), players can't cash in on their virtual winnings, as online gambling was effectively outlawed years ago. And apparently, players are actually happy to accept this reality, according to Chahine. The Yazino head also chalks that up to the fact that players can enjoy its games for free through offers and chips provided daily. Giving players the opportunity to play for free is "a big area of focus" for Yazino, Chahine tells us. And according to him, the entire social gaming scene would be different if online gambling hadn't suffered its run-ins with the law before the turn of the decade. Zynga Poker was one of Zynga's first games, after all.
"Zynga is the only player that's not a gambling site that could throw that game. Poker Stars didn't have the opportunity," Chahine tells us. "They were banned from Facebook, so if PokerStars and the other big sites were allowed even from a virtual perspective. So, if they were allowed to enter that market, there's no way Zynga would have had that success with Zynga Poker."
Slots Wheel Deal by Yazin0
In other words, Facebook could have very well been dominated by casino and gambling games if not for Internet gambling's dashed history with the law before and during Facebook's rise. But Yazino isn't interested in real money gambling. Period. (But is it any less real when players can pay for chips, but not see a return?) Regardless, what Chahine says is that Yazino is interested in is to "reinvent gambling in a much more sophisticated way."
"When you play together, our emotions are heightened," Chahine gushes. "It's more amplified, it's more real and we become more competitive. We do believe at Yazino, what we're trying to become is the pioneer of friendly competition."
This family holds the world record for being Pokémon masters
And to think my unbridled, preteen love for all things Pokémon only made my parents regret buying me a Game Boy for Christmas. The Arnolds of Frankfort, Ill. have been included in the Guinness Book of World Records 2012 Gamer's Edition, earning the title "Largest Competitive Pokémon Videogame Family." The organization calls the Arnolds "the most prolific Pokémon playing family in the world."
They're not only the most prolific, but the Arnolds are the most successful family of Pokémon players, having competed globally in Pokémon tournaments. While Mother Arnold, Linda, often cheers from the sidelines, family patriarch Glenn battles with pocket monsters right alongside his three children. Glenn spurred the family tradition by helping his little ones get through the tougher parts of their games, ultimately fostering little Pokémon powerhouses.
In fact, Glenn says that he went head-to-head with his own son, David, in a tournament match before. But the Arnolds' other son, Ryan, admits that his sister Grace is probably the most skilled Pokémon player of them all. So what if this is a completely contrived category in order to fill the book with a unique set of record-holders. It makes for a fun story, right? Now, this (hopeful) future father has one goal: Foster the world's most deadly family of Halo players ... when they're of age, of course.
They're not only the most prolific, but the Arnolds are the most successful family of Pokémon players, having competed globally in Pokémon tournaments. While Mother Arnold, Linda, often cheers from the sidelines, family patriarch Glenn battles with pocket monsters right alongside his three children. Glenn spurred the family tradition by helping his little ones get through the tougher parts of their games, ultimately fostering little Pokémon powerhouses.
In fact, Glenn says that he went head-to-head with his own son, David, in a tournament match before. But the Arnolds' other son, Ryan, admits that his sister Grace is probably the most skilled Pokémon player of them all. So what if this is a completely contrived category in order to fill the book with a unique set of record-holders. It makes for a fun story, right? Now, this (hopeful) future father has one goal: Foster the world's most deadly family of Halo players ... when they're of age, of course.
Nintendo sold 4 million 3DS systems in 2011, or 12 million dimensions
That's a lot of glasses-free, stereoscopic dimensions of gaming entertainment. Nintendo announced today that it had sold over 4 million units of its 3DS handheld gaming console last year, VentureBeat reports. Despite a terribly rocky start, the system sold more units in its first nine months than the ubiquitous Wii in its first nine months on the market, according to Nintendo.
The impressive sales are largely thanks to its $80 price cut last summer and system-selling games like Super Mario 3D Land and Mario Kart 7 hitting in the winter. In fact, both Mario games have sold 1 million copies apiece since their late 2011 releases. (The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword also sold a million discs since its November release.) So much for suspicions of the handheld being dead in the water, huh?
While the 3DS has clearly proven that it can hang in the world of iPhones and Android tablets offering sometimes fully-featured games for a buck or less, the handheld needs to repeat these successes in order to maintain. This is especially so considering Sony is gearing up to release its PS Vita in Western world this February. However, Japanese sales of the $250 competitor haven't exactly been mind-blowing.
According to VentureBeat, Nintendo of America executive VP of sales and marketing Scott Moffitt said that the company has a plenty of first and third-party games coming in early 2012, including Mario Party and Pokemon games. (Ed Note: Nintendo has clarified for us that these franchises will hit the Wii in the first quarter 2012 with new games: PokePark 2 and Mario Party 9. Neither franchise will receive a 3DS game in that time frame.) And since the company firmly refuses to create games for smartphones or tablets, it's definitely going to need that type of momentum.
The impressive sales are largely thanks to its $80 price cut last summer and system-selling games like Super Mario 3D Land and Mario Kart 7 hitting in the winter. In fact, both Mario games have sold 1 million copies apiece since their late 2011 releases. (The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword also sold a million discs since its November release.) So much for suspicions of the handheld being dead in the water, huh?
While the 3DS has clearly proven that it can hang in the world of iPhones and Android tablets offering sometimes fully-featured games for a buck or less, the handheld needs to repeat these successes in order to maintain. This is especially so considering Sony is gearing up to release its PS Vita in Western world this February. However, Japanese sales of the $250 competitor haven't exactly been mind-blowing.
According to VentureBeat, Nintendo of America executive VP of sales and marketing Scott Moffitt said that the company has a plenty of first and third-party games coming in early 2012, including Mario Party and Pokemon games. (Ed Note: Nintendo has clarified for us that these franchises will hit the Wii in the first quarter 2012 with new games: PokePark 2 and Mario Party 9. Neither franchise will receive a 3DS game in that time frame.) And since the company firmly refuses to create games for smartphones or tablets, it's definitely going to need that type of momentum.
Nintendo's Wii U will have an app store (just like the iPad?)
If the early comparisons between Apple's tablet and the upcoming Nintendo console were unfounded before, the next rumor surrounding the Wii U might all but confirm them. That is, if it turns out to be true. The Daily reports, citing a nameless source, that Nintendo's successor to the wildly successful Wii console will have an app store. So, how is that different from now?
According to The Daily, the app store in the Wii U will be different from the online shops offered within its existing 3DS and Wii consoles--the eShop and Wii Shop, respectively--in that it will provide more than just "light" apps. This app store will tout similar software to what players can download on, say, their Xbox 360, like MLB.TV (which is name-dropped specifically).
Furthermore, The Daily's source said that apps will be offered for use exclusively with the Wii U's 6.2-inch tablet-like controller. The Daily's Matt Hickey paints a picture of players checking their email, browsing the web and later getting some games in on the controller. However, it's unknown whether this supposed app store will sell its software using a points system or otherwise.
What we do know for sure about the mysterious Wii U is that it will be social. Perhaps this means that players will be able to access services like Twitter, Facebook and Google+ using dedicated apps downloaded from this app store. We'll see at E3 2012.
According to The Daily, the app store in the Wii U will be different from the online shops offered within its existing 3DS and Wii consoles--the eShop and Wii Shop, respectively--in that it will provide more than just "light" apps. This app store will tout similar software to what players can download on, say, their Xbox 360, like MLB.TV (which is name-dropped specifically).
Furthermore, The Daily's source said that apps will be offered for use exclusively with the Wii U's 6.2-inch tablet-like controller. The Daily's Matt Hickey paints a picture of players checking their email, browsing the web and later getting some games in on the controller. However, it's unknown whether this supposed app store will sell its software using a points system or otherwise.
What we do know for sure about the mysterious Wii U is that it will be social. Perhaps this means that players will be able to access services like Twitter, Facebook and Google+ using dedicated apps downloaded from this app store. We'll see at E3 2012.
Yazino hopes to 'reinvent gambling' with in-sync social casino games
We'll be the first to admit it: Casino games have become a dime a dozen on Facebook recently. From Zynga's own Zynga Poker to Poker Rivals by Playfish and DoubleDown Casino, the sub genre is quickly becoming crowded. (Even PopCap appears keen on the genre.) That said, it's going to take a unique approach for a chance to attract a healthy chunk of that player base.
Yazino, a UK-based social gaming start-up founded in 2008, looks to bring exactly that with what CEO Hussein Chahine calls "in-sync" gaming. Chahine's vision is to have players compete and chat in real time across the web, iOS and Android devices--and Yazino is already doing just that. The seven games Yazino has today all started with a simple idea.
"The idea that we came by is, 'How do we take poker--a very engaging, a lot of emotions, there's a bit of skill when you play--and build an engine that builds completely synchronous games,'" Chahine tells us. "It's dedicated to games that are multiplayer by nature, and people want to play together. In all of the gambling industry, poker was the most powerful."
With that, Chahine and crew opted to create several classic casino games with the real-time competition that poker provides. And it's because of this direct competition that the Yazino chief believes his team works toward games that are truly social. "We have games on social networks, rather than social games," Chahine says. "If we put Solitaire on Facebook, would Solitaire be a social game?"
Blackjack by Yazino
While only two of Yazino's games--Blackjack and Slots Wheel Deal--are available on iOS, all of its games are on Facebook. Well, sort of. The company's seven games appear to be Facebook applications, but when launched redirect to Yazino's own website, which hosts the games complete with your list of Facebook friends and even random matchmaking. So, why take this route? According to Chahine, Facebook simply can't handle synchronous, multiplatform gaming at the moment.
"Synchronous play has a much deeper and more competitive advantage over asynchronous games. Because of the immersive nature of synchronous games, [the Facebook Ticker] is really a distraction, and actually quite annoying," Chahine admits. "It's like you're [watching] a horse race--you only want to know about what the horse is doing. Do I really care about 'Fred is listening to music?' The synchronous nature and intensity of these games require a different ambiance and a different environment."
Hussein ChahineYazino also looks to give players the option to create personal communities within the larger player base. Chahine (pictured right) uses the English football club Manchester United as an example: A group of friends who play in Manchester United together will soon have the option to create their own sub group, complete with its own leader boards. Because of this, along with the prospects of live chat and real-time gameplay across platforms, Chahine tells us that using Facebook directly isn't an option. (However, it's important to take note that this strategy appears to leave Yazino free from the grips of Facebook Credits too.)
Of course (well, at least in the U.S.), players can't cash in on their virtual winnings, as online gambling was effectively outlawed years ago. And apparently, players are actually happy to accept this reality, according to Chahine. The Yazino head also chalks that up to the fact that players can enjoy its games for free through offers and chips provided daily. Giving players the opportunity to play for free is "a big area of focus" for Yazino, Chahine tells us. And according to him, the entire social gaming scene would be different if online gambling hadn't suffered its run-ins with the law before the turn of the decade. Zynga Poker was one of Zynga's first games, after all.
"Zynga is the only player that's not a gambling site that could throw that game. Poker Stars didn't have the opportunity," Chahine tells us. "They were banned from Facebook, so if PokerStars and the other big sites were allowed even from a virtual perspective. So, if they were allowed to enter that market, there's no way Zynga would have had that success with Zynga Poker."
Slots Wheel Deal by Yazin0
In other words, Facebook could have very well been dominated by casino and gambling games if not for Internet gambling's dashed history with the law before and during Facebook's rise. But Yazino isn't interested in real money gambling. Period. (But is it any less real when players can pay for chips, but not see a return?) Regardless, what Chahine says is that Yazino is interested in is to "reinvent gambling in a much more sophisticated way."
"When you play together, our emotions are heightened," Chahine gushes. "It's more amplified, it's more real and we become more competitive. We do believe at Yazino, what we're trying to become is the pioneer of friendly competition."
Yazino, a UK-based social gaming start-up founded in 2008, looks to bring exactly that with what CEO Hussein Chahine calls "in-sync" gaming. Chahine's vision is to have players compete and chat in real time across the web, iOS and Android devices--and Yazino is already doing just that. The seven games Yazino has today all started with a simple idea.
"The idea that we came by is, 'How do we take poker--a very engaging, a lot of emotions, there's a bit of skill when you play--and build an engine that builds completely synchronous games,'" Chahine tells us. "It's dedicated to games that are multiplayer by nature, and people want to play together. In all of the gambling industry, poker was the most powerful."
With that, Chahine and crew opted to create several classic casino games with the real-time competition that poker provides. And it's because of this direct competition that the Yazino chief believes his team works toward games that are truly social. "We have games on social networks, rather than social games," Chahine says. "If we put Solitaire on Facebook, would Solitaire be a social game?"
Blackjack by Yazino
While only two of Yazino's games--Blackjack and Slots Wheel Deal--are available on iOS, all of its games are on Facebook. Well, sort of. The company's seven games appear to be Facebook applications, but when launched redirect to Yazino's own website, which hosts the games complete with your list of Facebook friends and even random matchmaking. So, why take this route? According to Chahine, Facebook simply can't handle synchronous, multiplatform gaming at the moment.
"Synchronous play has a much deeper and more competitive advantage over asynchronous games. Because of the immersive nature of synchronous games, [the Facebook Ticker] is really a distraction, and actually quite annoying," Chahine admits. "It's like you're [watching] a horse race--you only want to know about what the horse is doing. Do I really care about 'Fred is listening to music?' The synchronous nature and intensity of these games require a different ambiance and a different environment."
Hussein ChahineYazino also looks to give players the option to create personal communities within the larger player base. Chahine (pictured right) uses the English football club Manchester United as an example: A group of friends who play in Manchester United together will soon have the option to create their own sub group, complete with its own leader boards. Because of this, along with the prospects of live chat and real-time gameplay across platforms, Chahine tells us that using Facebook directly isn't an option. (However, it's important to take note that this strategy appears to leave Yazino free from the grips of Facebook Credits too.)
Of course (well, at least in the U.S.), players can't cash in on their virtual winnings, as online gambling was effectively outlawed years ago. And apparently, players are actually happy to accept this reality, according to Chahine. The Yazino head also chalks that up to the fact that players can enjoy its games for free through offers and chips provided daily. Giving players the opportunity to play for free is "a big area of focus" for Yazino, Chahine tells us. And according to him, the entire social gaming scene would be different if online gambling hadn't suffered its run-ins with the law before the turn of the decade. Zynga Poker was one of Zynga's first games, after all.
"Zynga is the only player that's not a gambling site that could throw that game. Poker Stars didn't have the opportunity," Chahine tells us. "They were banned from Facebook, so if PokerStars and the other big sites were allowed even from a virtual perspective. So, if they were allowed to enter that market, there's no way Zynga would have had that success with Zynga Poker."
Slots Wheel Deal by Yazin0
In other words, Facebook could have very well been dominated by casino and gambling games if not for Internet gambling's dashed history with the law before and during Facebook's rise. But Yazino isn't interested in real money gambling. Period. (But is it any less real when players can pay for chips, but not see a return?) Regardless, what Chahine says is that Yazino is interested in is to "reinvent gambling in a much more sophisticated way."
"When you play together, our emotions are heightened," Chahine gushes. "It's more amplified, it's more real and we become more competitive. We do believe at Yazino, what we're trying to become is the pioneer of friendly competition."
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