Michael Phelps Set to Dive Into Video Game World

Following in the footsteps of John Madden and Tiger Woods, Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps wants to start his own video game empire. But curiously enough, swimming might not be the main event. "Swimming will be a part of it, but it won't be set in an Olympic pool going back and forth," said Adam Kline, president of 505 Games, the company releasing the series. "This is a pure action game," he added. Does that mean our local aquatic hero could be roughing up bad guys and saving the world? Or will he be running amok a la Grand Theft Auto? The folks at 505 are still toying with a few different ideas and can't comment just yet. More details will emerge closer to the first installment's planned release in spring 2010. The game should be available on consoles and the iPhone. But the lack of specifics hasn't stopped video game experts from speculating.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/bal-to.phelps16dec16,0,2496302.story

Hasbro dropping suit against makers of Facebook game Scrabulous

Hasbro has dropped its lawsuit against the makers of a popular online version of board game Scrabble. According to documents filed in U.S. District Court in New York, Hasbro dropped the lawsuit Friday. Hasbro, which owns the North American rights to the word game, sued Jayant and Rajat Agarwalla, brothers from Calcutta, India, this summer. The brothers developed the unauthorized version, called Scrabulous, after they couldn't find an online version they liked. The court documents did not specify a reason for the withdrawal of the case. RJ Softwares, the Agarwalla brothers' company, said in a statement that it has agreed not to use the term "Scrabulous" and made changes to different versions of the game it created after the lawsuit was filed. The changes to the Wordscrapper application found on online networking site Facebook and games at Lexulous.com help distinguish them from Scrabble, RJ Softwares said.
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_11238093?nclick_check=1

Sony to Launch Home Virtual World for PlayStation 3 on Dec. 11

Sony will launch its much-anticipated virtual world, Home, for the PlayStation 3 on Dec. 11. The service will still be in beta testing but it will now be freely available to all 16 million-plus PS 3 users. The Home experience, which resembles Linden Lab’s Second Life, is meant to draw all sorts of new users together into the world of the PS 3 and to unite users in a social network where they can talk about, buy and play games together.
http://venturebeat.com/2008/12/10/sony-to-launch-home-virtual-world-for-playstation-3-on-dec-11/

Facebook Gets a Mobile Phone Arcade

Here’s a fun new Facebook game app that just went live: The Mplayit Mobile Arcade, where you can play dozens of free mobile phone game demos, including top titles like Spore Origins and Guitar Hero Mobile. It’s a Facebook version of the Mpowerplayer web site, so it’s also integrated into the social network’s unique functionality. For example, you can share Mplayit game links with people on your friends’ list; when you click “Recommend” on a specific game, it shows up in your newsfeed. From the game publishers’ point of view, it’s a clever way of virally promoting and selling games on a network with 130 million users, many of whom might never even have considered buying a phone game otherwise. (The Facebook widget has a Buy This Game button which clicks you through to the title’s official web site.) For Mpowerplayer, it’s a new revenue stream: The company gets referral fees from the publishers featured in their application. As advertising budgets shrink to suit recessionary times, and developers are forced to get even smarter with their promotional dollars, I suspect we’ll see more Facebook applications like this one.
http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/gigaom/mobile/2008_12_08_facebook_gets_a_mobile_phone_arcade.html

http://apps.facebook.com/mobilearcade/

Acclaim Announces Free Online Music Game Rockfree

Acclaim Games announced Rockfree, a free-to-play, browser-based music game scheduled to release in the first quarter of 2009. The company partnered with Warner Music, Sony, and EMI to include songs from those record labels, and also teamed up with WaveGroup, the production company behind the song covers in the Guitar Hero series and other music titles. Rockfree allows players to create custom avatars, open a rock club, upload new tracks, and battle against up to eight players online. Acclaim launched its closed beta for the game and a public preview on Saturday, November 29th. There are currently over 40 new songs being produced for Rockfree, but Acclaim revealed three licensed tracks with its preview -- Black Sabbath's Iron Man, Sum 41's Fat Lip, and Wolfmother's Woman. The company doesn't intend to charge users for downloading extra tracks.
http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=21292

Sumner Redstone Sells Midway Games

In an effort to help resolve his debt problems, Sumner Redstone has sold his controlling stake in videogame company Midway Games Inc. to a private investor. Mr. Redstone's holding company, National Amusements Inc., is expected to announce Monday that it sold its 87% stake in Midway to investor Mark Thomas, a move that represents a significant loss on the media mogul's investment but secures a hefty tax benefit as he negotiates other asset sales. National Amusements is in negotiations with its banks to restructure its $1.6 billion debt pile after breaching one of its debt covenants. As part of the restructuring, the Redstone family has been discussing selling some of its assets, including some movie theaters and a holding in slot-machine company WMS Industries. The sale of the Midway stake, agreed upon Friday, wasn't conducted as part of a deal with the banks but is likely to ease the pressure on the Redstone family and potentially contribute to a final deal.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122810340075068473.html

GameDuell.com Lets You Play Casual Games for Money

GameDuell offers skill games to be played against real opponents for real money. The site has around 20 popular games like Solitaire, Roll 5, Freecell and Roll 5. GameDuell was launched in Berlin by Kai Bolik, now CEO, Michael Kalkowski, now MD of Products, and Boris Wasmuth, MD of marketing. The site is already available across Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Denmark, Sweden, the Netherlands, France, Spain, Britain, and the US in nine languages. GameDuell was launched in 2003 and offers skill games to be played against real opponents for real money. The site has around 20 popular games like Solitaire, Roll 5, Freecell and Roll 5. GameDuell was launched in Berlin by Kai Bolik, now CEO, Michael Kalkowski, now MD of Products, and Boris Wasmuth, MD of marketing. The site is already available across Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Denmark, Sweden, the Netherlands, France, Spain, Britain, and the US in nine languages.
http://www.paidcontent.org/entry/deal-radar-2008-gameduell/

http://gameduell.com/

Game Curry, A Search Engine For Flash Games

The site is further expanding its reach by launching a search engine for Flash games across the web dubbed Game Curry. The two cofounders say that while there are countless Flash games on the web, it can often be difficult to find a particular game that you’re looking for, as game aggregators only have a small sampling of what’s available. With Game Curry, the site has created an index of games across all of these gaming sites, which users can search through by keyword. In search results each game is presented with a thumbnail, along with a link to the site it is found as well as comments and ratings left by other Game Curry users. When you click on one of the games you’re taken to the original content holder’s site alongside a Game Curry sidebar for further searching.
http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/10/22/games2win-launches-gamecurry-a-search-engine-for-flash-games/

http://www.gamecurry.com/

New Guitar Hero Game Lets Users Record Music and Share It on the Web

The wildly popular "Guitar Hero" video game franchise has a new, more ambitious goal: It wants to help you record original music and share it with other fans around the world. "Guitar Hero World Tour," the fourth major installment in the gaming series, hits stores Sunday, October 26. Unlike past "GH" games, which came only with a guitar-shaped controller, "GHWT" also includes a drum kit and microphone, so gamers can tackle bass, vocal and percussion parts, too. The game's new studio mode will allow players to use the instrument controllers to record music tracks. Through an online service called GHTunes, players also will be able to upload their songs, download others or collaborate to create music together.
http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/ptech/10/21/guitar.hero/index.html

Obama Ads Appearing on Madden '09 and Other EA Sports Games

Here is proof that somebody young is working on the Barack Obama campaign. Ads for the candidate are now appearing in sports video games including Madden '09. The ads, appearing in swing states Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Indiana, Montana, North Carolina, New Mexico, Nevada, Ohio and Wisconsin, will be in the form of stadium signage and billboards. (Game cover courtesy of Business Wire) The ads will run until Nov. 3 and will also appear in other Xbox games including Burnout Paradise, NASCAR 09, NHL 09, NBA Live 08, Need For Speed: Carbon, Need For Speed: ProStreet, NFL Tour," and Skate.
http://blogs.usatoday.com/gameon/2008/10/obama-ads-appea.html

http://www.gamepolitics.com/2008/10/14/ea-confirms-obama-ads-burnout-paradise

Much Anticipated Sony Game Delayed Over Muslim Gaffe

The release of one of the most hotly awaited computer games in the past year has been delayed over concerns some of the background music may offend Muslims. "LittleBigPlanet," described by review Web site IGN.com as an "instant classic," has been pulled from warehouses after it was noticed that one of its music tracks contained words from the Islamic holy text, the Quran. The move is a blow to the Sony PlayStation game, seen as the console's first launch of an icon to match Nintendo's ubiquitous Mario, in which rag doll character Sackboy negotiates a lavishly designed world of platforms and challenges.
http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/ptech/10/20/littlebigplanet.delay/index.html

XBOX and Playstation Simultaneously Releasing New Virtual Worlds

Sony (NYSE: SNE) and Microsoft (NSDQ: MSFT) are taking their game console war to the next level—launching dueling virtual environments in the next few weeks. Microsoft is rolling out the Xbox Live Experience November 19, while Sony’s much lauded (but also much delayed) Home is slated for a launch sometime later this year, according to AP. Both worlds let gamers create avatars, customize their “living spaces” and socialize, and each will feature third-party digital content. NewsFactor reports that Microsoft will bank on deals already inked with NetFlix, NBC Universal and the Sci-Fi Channel, among others, to supplement the Xbox Live Experience, and Sony’s Home will feature content designed by more than 24 gaming companies, according to an SCEA producer familiar with the project. Analysts peg the worlds as both part of the natural evolution of the console from a “gaming” system to a multimedia entertainment device, as well as attempts by the gaming giants to compete with wildly successful virtual worlds like Linden Lab’s Second Life. Still, there are differing opinions about which platform will attract more users.
http://www.paidcontent.org/entry/419-microsoft-sony-feud-continues-with-console-based-worlds/

PBS Brings Documentaries, Science Shows To Microsoft Xbox

PBS may be known for much more than Masterpiece Theatre these days, but the news that it will place parts of its programming on Microsoft’s (NSDQ: MSFT) Xbox is still something of a surprise. The public TV net is making a variety of full-length shows available for download on Xbox Live, the online games and entertainment network for the Xbox 360. The first set of PBS programs on Xbox Live starting today includes shows like Wired Science, Scientific American Frontiers, Nova and three Ken Burns documentaries. The content deal with Microsoft follows improvements to PBS’ video offerings over the past year. While PBS already has full seasons of programs like the TV news magazine NOW and Antiques Roadshow available for paid download on iTunes, the deal with Microsoft is designed to attract younger viewers. As for whether the placement of PBS documentaries actually will resonate there, Ross Honey, GM at MSFT’s Media and Entertainment Group, insisted in a statement that non-fiction programming has done well on the site.
http://www.paidcontent.org/entry/419-pbs-brings-brings-documentaries-science-shows-to-microsoft-xbox/

Challenge Games Fusing Fantasy Sports with Video Gaming

Challenge Games creates short, online games for both serious and casual gamers that are exciting and easy to play. These games are browser-based and can be played from any computer. Most of the games are multiplayer, and take only 3-10 minutes per game. They provide instant entertainment, unlike other popular games such as World of Warcraft or Lord of the Rings. All the games developed by Challenge are free. The first game the company released was Duels, which is a fantasy game with level advancement, development of the characters, collectability and trading. Duels was the first game available on Facebook as an application. Players can pay a small subscription fee and sign up for VIP membership or can play the free version of the game. The company’s second game, Baseball Boss, is a combination of fantasy sports and baseball card collecting. Both games are designed with the aim of making players trade virtual goods like better swords or better equipment to improve their game. Such collectibles can be purchased with real currency. Although free, the games generate revenue by selling virtual goods to users.
http://www.paidcontent.org/entry/deal-radar-2008-challenge-games/

http://www.challengegames.com/

World Golf Tour Hits Hole-In-One With Rich Multiplayer Flash Game

Despite the fact that males have long accounted for the majority of online gamers, there is a surprising shortage of casual online games directed at men aged 25-45. Beyond fantasy football and online poker there is little variety, with nearly every game failing to take advantage of advanced graphics or any interactivity beyond clicking “all-in”. World Golf Tour is looking to fill this gap. The site has launched a free, full-featured Flash game that offers 3D graphics, an advanced physics engine, and user-customizable characters - it’s not as good as EA’s Tiger Woods series, but it’s going to be close enough for most people. The site launched a beta version last year, and is now introducing a new course, expanded customization options, and multiplayer support. While users will be able to play games on their own, the game allows for multiplayer sessions, and tracks stats across all games to produce a network-wide leaderboard. Along with the game itself, the WGT homepage allows users to create profiles, befriend and challenge other golfers, and participate in massively multiplayer tournaments. Tournaments will include cash prizes as well as virtual goods prizes, like new clubs and clothing that can be used to customize an in-game avatar. WGT will generate revenue through microtransactions for these virtual goods, as well as sponsorships for their virtual tournaments. World Golf Tour will likely do very well - it’s polished, free, and will appeal to millions of golf fans.
http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/10/06/world-golf-tour-hits-hole-in-one-with-rich-multiplayer-flash-game/

http://www.wgt.com/

From The Makers Of iGolf, Comes iBowl

Who needs a Nintendo Wii when you’ve got an iPhone? The Social Gaming Network, which released a Wii-like golfing game for the iPhone two weeks ago, has now followed up with a bowling game. As with iGolf (which has already been downloaded more than 900,000 times), iBowl uses the iPhone’s accelerometer to detect a player’s swing. You can twist your wrist to give the ball spin or direct it to the pins.
http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/10/02/from-the-makers-of-igolf-comes-ibowl-just-dont-drop-that-iphone/

Nintendo to Launch Camera, Music-Capable DS

Japanese video game maker Nintendo Co Ltd plans to launch a new model of its DS handheld machine that can take pictures and play music by the end of the year, the Nikkei business daily said on Sunday. The move would pit the top-selling portable game gear with Apple Inc iPod and camera-embedded cellphones in general. The price for the new machine, which will also be equipped with advanced wireless communications functions, is expected to be below 20,000 yen ($189) in Japan, compared with 16,800 yen for the current model, the Nikkei said. The Wii game console and DS have been Nintendo's twin growth engines, helping its share price to grow more than three-fold over the past three years.
http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUSTRE48R09X20080928

Popular Facebook App Scrabulous Name In Violation, Game Not

Rajat and Jayant Agarwalla, the Indian brothers who came up with the Scrabble-style word game for Facebook called Scrabulous, told fans that their country's courts ruled that their game did not violate Mattel Inc.'s copyrights. It did, however, consider the name Scrabulous a trademark violation and ordered the Agarwallas to stop using the word, the brothers said. Mattel, which owns the international rights to Scrabble, in February sued the Agarwallas in Indian court. Hasbro, the owner of Scrabble in North America, followed suit in July. Several days later, the Agarwallas pulled the application from Facebook and put up Wordscraper, a similar game that lets players modify their own board.
http://www.latimes.com/technology/la-fi-techblog27-2008sep27,0,5973004.story?track=rss

Promotion of NBA 2K9 Includes Online Fantasy League Where NBA Players Draft Video Gamers

In anticipation of the 2008-09 NBA season, videogame company 2K Sports this week will launch marketing support for the 10th anniversary edition of NBA 2K9. The effort, "The Other Season," will include TV, print and a Web site where participants can participate in an online fantasy league whose teams are named, managed and promoted by NBA players. Print will break this week; five TV spots will start to air Oct. 3. Tag: "Make this season matter." Creative features all-star Kevin Garnett of the NBA champion Boston Celtics, who is featured on the cover of the NBA 2K9 box. The storyline on TV follows Garnett and his friends, known as "The Official Block Family," as they try to master the game's new features. Online creative features Garnett and NBA players including Andre Iguodala, Carlos Boozer, Chauncey Billups, Steve Nash, Greg Oden, Derrick Rose and Monta Ellis. The twist here is that each player owns his own fantasy team and gets to draft the best videogamers from among visitors who play NBA 2K9 online at Theotherseason.com. They will join squads of NBA players whose strengths and weaknesses will be updated via a "living rosters" feature to match the progress of their real-life counterparts throughout the NBA season.
http://www.brandweek.com/bw/content_display/news-and-features/digital/e3i98078f6e2a02095dc8159bba5b0825d2

Nintendo Does Crazy YouTube Advertisement, Must Be Seen to Believe

http://uk.youtube.com/experiencewii