Author Archives: Chris Morris

‘Bejeweled’ Publisher Ponders IPO

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Investors looking for a chance to get a piece of the fast-growing social network gaming and mobile gaming spaces could have the opportunity by year’s end.

PopCap Games, known for such titles as “Bejeweled,” “Bookworm” and “Plants vs. Zombies,” is mulling an IPO. And while a casual game company might seem an unlikely contender to go public, this one boasts both a rabidly loyal audience (that often buys multiple copies of its titles on multiple platforms) and steady revenue growth. As a result, it has been on Wall Street’s radar for a while now.

Read more at CNBC.com

Next up from Halo makers: An online world

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After ten years of creating and exploring the Halo universe, ace developer Bungie Entertainment is ready to build a new world — and it’s apparently going to be a mighty big one.

The developer has confirmed that its next project will be a massively-multiplayer online action game. While the company is still keeping most of the details shrouded in secrecy, Bungie’s lead network engineer David Aldridge told game makers at the Game Developer Conference that the title would not simply be “[World of Warcraft] in space.”

Read more at Yahoo! Games

World of Warcraft Maker Turns 20, Looks Ahead

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You might think that after creating a title that has over 12 million customers happily paying a monthly subscription fee, Blizzard Entertainment would be immune to some of the fears circling the video game industry.

But Frank Pearce, co-founder of the development giant, says he’s just as worried about the impact of Facebook and iPhone games as everyone else.

Read more at CNBC.com

PlayStation motion controller Moves beyond video games

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Within days of its retail release, hackers were already finding some innovative ways to use Microsoft’s Kinect motion controller. Now they’re going to get their chance with the PlayStation Move.

Sony has announced plans to make the software development application for Move available to students, researchers and enthusiasts later this spring. The company says it’s hoping the action will lead to increased innovation in gaming and other fields.

Read more at Yahoo! Games

Nintendo president blasts cheap apps

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Nintendo’s global president Satoru Iwata is not happy with the app revolution – and it’s not just because of the competition it’s giving his company.

In his GDC keynote address discussing the state of the video game industry, Iwata was particular outspoken on his fear that the explosion in cheap and free apps has devalued game development and could eventually put the industry at risk.

Read more at Variety’s Technotainment blog

Nintendo pacts with Netflix for streaming

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Nintendo has unveiled a slew of deals, including a streaming vid partnership with Netflix, that show a growing partnership between the company and Hollywood.

During the company’s keynote address at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco, execs announced Wednesday that U.S. owners of the forthcoming handheld gaming system will be able to stream Netflix films to the device starting this summer.

Read more at Daily Variety

Electronic Arts Goes ‘On the Offensive’

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Electronic Arts hasn’t exactly been a darling of Wall Street in recent years.

Battered by a string of earnings disappointments and underperfoming titles, the video game publisher has seen its archrival Activision-Blizzard take away king-of-the hill status among industry peers, and watched its stock price fall. But Frank Gibeau, the president of the EA Games label, says the company has made the necessary changes to get back on top.

Read more at CNBC.com

Apple unveils iPad 2

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Nothing was going to keep Steve Jobs away from the introduction of the iPad 2 – not even his health.

The CEO of Apple, who has been on a medical leave of absence from the company since late January, surprised attendees at the tablet computer’s unveiling in San Francisco Wednesday, taking the wraps off of a redesigned version of its popular gadget, which will hit stores next Friday, March 11.

Read more at Daily Variety

Dragon’s Lair creator returns to video games

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It has been 28 years since Don Bluth made a video game, but the film and gaming legend is ready to hit “play” once more.

Bluth is teaming with Square One Games for Tapper World Tour, an iPhone/iPad game that updates the classic Tapper arcade quarter-gobbler and blends it with Bluth’s distinctive animation style.

Read more at Yahoo! Games