Ben Popper for The Verge:
“Zynga is a company very focused on data. Mark (Pincus) wants this business to be driven by numbers, not by hits,” said one employee. “They analyze every action in the game and try to optimize the business. The rely on franchises to eliminate risk.”
Because this sounds like a great long term strategy for a “games” company.
via The Verge.
Apparently Nintendo decided to post a little primer on their upcoming Wii-U controller on the eve of E3.
My thoughts (in a running diary format):
I have no desire to see the Wii-U fail, but the best thing I’ve seen so far (other than an Xbox 360 controller clone) is the promise that developers can use two screens in fun and innovative ways. Unless Nintendo shows some really mindblowing applications of this on Tuesday, that’s all the Wii-U will be, a promise.
Watch the whole thing here:
I hate to get too excited about a new attempt at revitalizing the Tomb Raider franchise because of all the botched attempts in the past, but boy does this trailer look sharp. Crystal Dynamics is working the epic origin story angle for Lara Croft and the results look both epic and fun.
Jeff Bezos:
We’ve also just added a new Watchlist feature, which helps you keep track of the movies and TV episodes you want to view later. You can add favorites and new discoveries to your list—then come back anytime to watch instantly. Try it on your Xbox 360, Kindle Fire, or your browser on PC & Mac … and Watchlist is coming soon to PlayStation 3 and Roku.
I’ve never really used Instant Video much on my devices, but after using the Xbox 360 Amazon Instant Video app, the Watchlist feature feels like it should have always been there. Now if they’ll just get an iOS app out…
via Amazon.
I can’t think of a better place for You Don’t Know Jack other than maybe an online-enabled mobile client. The cleverly written trivia game is still fun after over a decade.
Reading through this guide made me wish every company had Valve’s dedication to both succeeding as a company and providing the best possible professional environment for their employees. Not everyone will be comfortable in a “flat” organization structure, but for those that are, oh boy, sure sounds like a great job, eh?
via The Verge.
Donald Mustard, Chair Creative Director talking to Douglass C. Perry for Kotaku:
“This is part of the great social experiment,” said Mustard. “We live now in an asynchronous world. Here’s an example. My wife and I love to play Scrabble, but with our kids and schedules, we don’t have enough to play together. So we play it, turn-based, on our phones.”
I’ve been having a ton of fun with “Infinity Blade 2’s” ClashMob. It gives me everything I want from a mobile game – bite-sized action, great graphics, tangible rewards, and reasons to check back every so often on my own schedule. Basically imagine “Tiny Tower” except you actually play a game and get rewards. The cherry on top is that you feel like you are a part of something more epic by taking on a boss with a billion hit points alongside people across the world.
Like real life, though, it’s kind of deflating when you contribute a lot to a seemingly doable task and find out that your teammates couldn’t do the same. While I think the mode could definitely use some tweaking, Chair is really onto something here in creating a truly great unique mobile gaming experience that combines the best of all worlds – skill, graphics, time commitment, and rewards.
via Kotaku – It Takes A Global Effort To Drain New Infinity Blade II Boss’ Billion Health Points.
