The News Review:
- Actiga Unveils Aptus Games – Brings Motion and Next Gen 3D Games to…
- ADMAX Network & MochiAds Find New Opportunities in Online Game…
- Q&A: Oberon’s Ryan On The I-Play Difference
- Backgammon Masters Invites the MIT Blackjack Team to Try Its “21&…
- More Delays for PlayStation Home
- What makes video games ‘addictive’?
Actiga Unveils Aptus Games – Brings Motion and Next Gen 3D Games to…
sys-con.com – Apr 22, 2008
Aptus Games uses proprietary motion controllers combined with a revolutionary browser-based 3D game engine to deliver the most innovative multi-sensory game experience on the Web. Scheduled to go live in the third quarter of 2008 Aptus Games aims to unveil a whole new type of video game experience through the Web with this pioneering new platform. “By bringing motion to the online games space Aptus Games delivers the next generation of Web-based gaming elevating the game experience to new heights on the PC and Mac” said Amro Albanna chairman and CEO of Actiga. “Aptus Games will be the first platform to provide both avid and casual video gamers easy online global access to motion-based 3D games. ” The Aptus Games Web destination eliminates the constraints associated with today’s computer gaming providing gamers with an easy-to-use Web-based platform that features: Innovative Motion-sensing Controllers – Aptus’ motion controllers provide unsurpassed interaction with 3D browser-based video games (will also support mouse and keyboard) Amazing Graphics – Aptus Games uses leading-edge Web 2. 0 technology to deliver the most advanced next generation Web-based video games Play Anywhere Anytime Any Place – Play your video games on any PC or Mac – sign in with any Web browser and access all your games instantly Streaming Games – All Aptus Games will stream directly to a user’s browser eliminating the painful process of pesky installations and updates Online Community and Forums – Socialize with other gamers in your community and across the world More Games More Genres – Action strategy puzzle reality racing sports and many more to come Minimal System Requirements – All it takes is a browser and a broadband connection to the Internet According to market research firm Strategy Analytics the global online game market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 25. 2 percent from $3… Driving this growth is the continued demand for global broadband access to the Internet. “The online game market continues to see strong growth globally and we believe Aptus Games is poised to capture a significant share of this burgeoning market segment” added Albanna. Call for Beta-Testers Aptus Games will soon begin beta testing on a limited basis. To learn more about being a potential beta tester please visit.
ADMAX Network & MochiAds Find New Opportunities in Online Game…
SDA Asia Magazine – Apr 22, 2008
The partnership will see around-game advertisements delivered within the game window as the user is initiating the game or waiting between levels. As the games are being played 10-second ads are shown which can be served and targeted according to various criteria including geography domain and game category placing the advertiser’s message into a medium where the user is engaged. Since online-game network click-through rates are five to seven per cent well above that for traditional online-banner advertising around-game ads offer obvious advantages to advertisers. “Online gaming is rapidly growing in popularity especially across Asia Pacific where there are approximately 70 million unique users” commented Gilbert Lo Director of Media Development for ADMAX Network. “As Southeast Asia’s largest local advertising network of specialty-content websites we are delighted to bring MochiAds into our network offering advertisers within Southeast Asia a landmark exclusive opportunity to engage the casual gaming audience. ” According to PricewaterhouseCoopers digital technologies are maturing and increasingly becoming lucrative distribution channels changing the way consumers acquire entertainment and media content whilst creating more revenue opportunities for entertainment companies. Asia Pacific is expected to remain the fastest-growing video-game region reflecting regional economic growth as well as local entertainment preferences.
Q&A: Oberon’s Ryan On The I-Play Difference
Gamasutra – Apr 22, 2008
It’s the idea that we could become a service provider or casual content and ultimately a publisher of casual content across all of the mass market screen: television PC and the mobile devices. Also that we were going to create a holistic organization that provided license holders and content partners and advertising partners as well as ourselves in terms of original IP the ability to reach a very very broad audience in an integrated way. Internally we developed one of the leading online games publishers in the Oberon Games division with the Dream Day series and the Agatha Christie series. We’re a leading online game publisher and we then acquired I-play and the mobile games company Digital Bridges who are the leading independent mobile casual games publisher. After that we acquired Pixel Play the number one provider of gaming solutions for interactive television. Essentially what this announcement ultimately is about is that we’ve synergised all of these divisions into a unified publishing organisation that we’re branding I-play. We’re leveraging that I-play brand that we obtained in that second acquisition… Also that we were going to create a holistic organization that provided license holders and content partners and advertising partners as well as ourselves in terms of original IP the ability to reach a very very broad audience in an integrated way. Internally we developed one of the leading online games publishers in the Oberon Games division with the Dream Day series and the Agatha Christie series. We’re a leading online game publisher and we then acquired I-play and the mobile games company Digital Bridges who are the leading independent mobile casual games publisher. After that we acquired Pixel Play the number one provider of gaming solutions for interactive television. Essentially what this announcement ultimately is about is that we’ve synergised all of these divisions into a unified publishing organisation that we’re branding I-play. We’re leveraging that I-play brand that we obtained in that second acquisition. We’re labelling this experience that you’re going to have around this brand and the expression.
Backgammon Masters Invites the MIT Blackjack Team to Try Its “21&…
PR Web – PR Web (press release) – Apr 22, 2008
Having to alter their methods to work in the virtual world of gaming in this challenge the MIT team will have to try their hand at winning with an online software version of BlackJack. BackgammonMasters is challenging not only the MIT team but also all interested players who love Blackjack and are curious to experience the online version of this well-loved game. Creating an online game shop at.
More Delays for PlayStation Home
BusinessWeek – Apr 22, 2008
Like Second Life Sony’s Home will let users meet chat or play online games with others through computer-generated avatars they will control in a real-time 3-D world. It was supposed to be rolled out last fall. But at the Tokyo Game Show in October Sony’s games chief Kazuo "Kaz" Hirai announced that Home wouldn’t go live until spring 2008. Sudden Resignation in FebruaryLast month Ryoji Akagawa senior producer of the Home Project Steering Dept. in Japan was still insisting that everything was on schedule.
What makes video games ‘addictive’?
MSNBC – Apr 22, 2008
-based therapist who specializes in Internet and computer addiction agrees. She works with lots of teenagers and young men in their 20s who don?t have a lot going on in the real world. So they play online games to fill the void of friendship companionship ? even love. ?What I see in the population that I?m working with around video games many gamers are people who were bored and lonely and this is an addiction which kind of gets its hooks into them? she says. Boredom wasn?t what drew Sherry Myrow to ?World of Warcraft? ? it was her husband?s obsession with the game. Myrow says she knew her husband was a big gamer before they married but when ?WoW? came into his life he was consumed. Let’s stay togetherCommitted to keeping the marriage together Myrow accepted her husband?s offer to join the game.