Phones Get Game Power in the Cloud

OnLive on Thursday plans to release software that will let people play the richest, most graphically intense games on Apple’s iPhone and iPad, Amazon’s Kindle Fire and other devices based on Google’s Android software. The New York Times reports.

In the past, these games have been far beyond the relatively anemic computing power of such devices, requiring the horsepower of a PC or a console. But OnLive runs all of the games on its service entirely on powerful server computers in its data centers and delivers them over the Internet, through so-called cloud computing.

Read full article.

Only 1.4 percent of the mobile games used in China are legal versions

According to China Daily, on Apple's iOS platform, more than 20 percent of game software in use in China is copycat versions of the originals. On phones with the Android operating system, the rate is nearly 40 percent.

There are two trends that are hindering the development of mobile phone games," said Hong Tao, the founder of the Shenzhen-based game developer Taole Technology. "The first is like group purchasing, with a lot of companies flocking together to develop very similar games.

"The second is piracy," he said. "No matter who has designed a new mobile phone game, and no matter if it is interesting or not, it can be found on the Internet for free download."

Read more.

Child finds flaws in mobile games

A novel class of security problems have been found lurking in many mobile games by a ten-year old hacker. The BBC reports.

Going by the handle CyFi, the hacker presented her findings at the DefCon hacker conference held in Las Vegas.

She found that advancing the clock on a tablet or phone can, in many games, open a loophole that can be exploited.

CyFi discovered the bug after getting bored with the pace of farming games and seeking ways to speed them up.

Read more

[Infographic]: Mobile Gaming Statistics 2011

The people at Geekaphone, an online resource for the mobile industry, have been researching the mobile gaming industry and here are some of the results – a collection of pretty huge mobile gaming industry stats for 2011. [via DigitalBuzzBlog]

A few key points that stand out are:

-- The mobile gaming industry is predicted to reach $54 Billion by 2015

-- 84% of tablet owners play games

-- 70 – 80% of all mobile downloads are games

-- Android is soon to overtake Apple in number of total available apps

-- In-game purchases should overtake pay-per-downloads by 2013

-- Angry Birds has been downloaded 140 million times

-- Developers made $87 million in ad revenue in 2010 and will grow 10 fold by 2015

Read full article.

The Online Games Grown-Ups Play

It used to be kids who couldn't stop playing Farmville, Mafia Wars and other multi-player games online or on their phones. Now adults have discovered social games -- and they're getting hooked. Second Act reports.

The over 40 crowd is playing, and talking about playing, every chance they get -- between work phone calls, doing housework, over the breakfast table and at night instead of watching TV.

... These days, the average social gamer in the United States or United Kingdom is a 43-year woman, according to a 2010 study from PopCap, the social games developer behind Bejeweled and Insaniquarium, as reported in this story by The New York Times.

Read full article.

World champion chess players accused of cheating by text

According to The Independent, the world of international chess has been thrown into uproar by accusations of intricate "cheating by text message" against three senior French players.

Two grandmasters and an international master have been found guilty by their own national organisation of "violating sporting ethics" at the Chess Olympiad – world team championships – in Khanty-Mansiysk Siberia in September.

The trio, who deny the charges, were accused of devising an elaborate scheme – using text messages and choreographed movements around the competition hall – to convey advice from a computer programme while matches were in progress.

Read full article.

Related:

-- Iranian chess player expelled for cheating by SMS at Dubai Open Chess tournament (April 2008)

-- Indian chess player banned for 10 years after cheating with Bluetooth (December 2006)

One Third of Adults in U.S. and U.K. Play Games on Mobile Phones: Survey

One third of the U.S. and U.K. adults are mobile phone gamers, according to PopCap Games, a developer, publisher and operator of casual video games. TMCnet.com reports.

Among mobile phone gamers, mobile phone is the primary gaming device, surpassing video game consoles and PCs in less than two years. Smartphone owners are the most avid consumers of mobile games, according to the survey conducted by Information Solutions Group (pdf).

... About 92 percent of smartphone gamers say they play at least once a week. 45 percent say they play daily compared to 35 percent of all mobile phone gamers. In the 2009 survey, only 13 percent of mobile phone gamers said they played daily, and 40 percent said they played weekly.

Read full article.

Behold, the PlayStation Phone

arstechnica releases The Playstation Phone' specs and details.

The Xperia PLAY is coming to the United States this Spring.

Sony Ericsson Press Release: Introducing Xperia PLAY - the world's first Playstation smartphone.

Image from Sony Ericsson.

Mobile Games Revenues to Surpass $11 Billion Globally by 2015

Revenues from in-game purchases are forecast to overtake the traditional pay-per-download model as the primary source of monetising mobile games by 2013, reports Juniper Research.

With Apple's in-app billing mechanism showing the way forward, total end-user revenues will surpass $11 billion annually by 2015, nearly double what they were in 2009 ($6bn).

[via Cellular News]

New Gaming Trend: iPhone Games You Can Play With Your Eyes Closed

They might be for niche audiences, but the world's first audio-only iPhone game, Aurifi (or-if-EYE) was released a few weeks ago and the second one, Papa Sangre, is slated to be released in September. The San Francisco Chronicle reports.

What's behind this new trend in gaming?

It isn't new technology, which is fairly commonplace in the industry, says Aurifi developer Chris Walker of Punk Pie.

Walker said they mainly used Apple's Logic software and plug-ins to create the game, which contains several mini-games in which players use only audio-cues to complete tasks.

Instead, like many iPhone-app stories, it's mostly the new distribution system that's helping these sorts of apps come to life.

... Aurifi has over 11,000 active users within its first 8 weeks, and is particularly popular among visually impaired users.

Read full article.

Smartphone owners to spend $168 million this year on games and virtual goods

According to esearch and consulting firm Frank N. Magid Associates, virtual goods such as in smartphone games are expected to hit sales of $168 million this year.

Among the more than 70 million U.S. smartphone owners -- 23% of the population -- nearly half (45%) play mobile games and 16% spend an average of $41 annually on in-game virtual goods.

Read full article in USA Today.

Social networking heats up on browsing phones

Accessing social networks is the fastest growing activity for smartphones and other Web-browsing phones, according to a new ComScore study, reports News.com.

The study also found that accessing bank accounts was one of the fastest-gaining categories via both app and browser, as the convenience of mobile banking continues to appeal to a growing number of consumers.

Social Networking Ranks as Fastest-Growing Mobile Content Category - ComScore Study - June 2, 2010

How Tetris conquered the world

The Telegraph on Tetris, one of the most enduringly popular games of all time, selling millions of copies and famed for its addictive qualities.

Tetris' ability to transcend cultures, decades and consoles belies its humble Soviet roots – the game was originally created at the height of the Cold War by the prestigious Academy of Science in the old USSR.

It's been around for 15 years and is the biggest selling mobile game of all time, but our love affair with Tetris shows no signs of abating. The puzzle game, which first rose to prominence on Nintendo's Gameboy platform in the late 1980s, has enjoyed something of a renaissance in recent years, and has been downloaded more than 100 million times on to mobile devices since 1995.

Read full article.

Zynga Brings Social Gaming To The Phone—Using SMS

Social gaming tycoon Zynga is testing out a way to bring its games to the mobile phone, but despite what you might think, it’s not by building a bunch of fancy smartphone applications. It's approaching mobile is by tapping into SMS—something nearly every phone in the U.S. is capable of doing.

Read full article in mocoNews.net.

Red Cross Raises $1,000,000+ for Haiti SMS Campaign

According to Mashable, the American Red Cross confirmed that over $1 million has been raised through text message donations.

The Red Cross’s involvement in the relief effort is to be commended. Not only did it immediately set up the simplest donation method possible, but its social media presence and outreach, when combined with the State Department’s involvement, has turned this into a viral funding initiative, topping Twitter trends and inspiring action. The Red Cross is also contributing an initial $1 million from the International Response Fund.

Send a $10 Donation by Texting ‘Haiti’ to 90999

Previously: From the White House: Thoughts, Prayers and SMS donation appeal for earth shaken Haiti

Xbox Live Officially Heading For Mobile Phones

According to Kotaku, it's now official: Xbox Live is on its way to mobile phones.

The service will be known as "Xbox LIVE Games" and looks to be available only on phones operating a mobile version of Windows.

Read full article.

Board Game Clue gets text messaging

Clue, the classic detective board game, has been updated to incorporate text messaging.

[via GadgetWise]

The History of Mobile Gaming (video)

A video on The History of Mobile Gaming 1970 - 2009, created by Tom from portablegear.nl.

Madoff Video Game Comes to Cell Phones

Starting May 11, cell phone gaming company Cellufun will make "Made Off" available on its site for free downloads, according to MyFox.

How to play? In their own words:

Think you've got what it takes to build a better Ponzi scheme than Bernie? Always wanted to rob, cheat, and steal from innocent investors? Well now's your chance! In Made Off, you utilize your Cellupoints rather than real money.

Play as a slimy Fund Manager, a savvy Investor, or both. The game will end without warning when the Feds finally crack down on the Cellufun community, and people managing Funds will get to keep all the Cellupoints invested in them.

Investors will keep all the Cellupoints they've acquired through interest payments as well. And we'll give trophies to those who have "made off" with the most profits. Happy scheming!

Cell Phone Games Emerge as Entertaining Way to Increase Public Advocacy

As mobile phone usage becomes more commonplace in developing countries, cell phone games are emerging as an entertaining way to increase public advocacy. In India this month the Danish government launched Copenhagen Challenge, a detective game designed to educate Indian school children about climate change. Voice of America reports.

Your mission; free Dr. Kumar from the claws of the fossil fuel mafia and save the environment from total annihilation.

No small task. But one that students at the Montort school in New Delhi are eager to confront.

According to the Telecom Regulatory Agency of India the country has nearly 350 million mobile users, many of whom are poor villagers using inexpensive, recycled phones.

Denmark's minister for climate and energy, Connie Hedegaard, says such cell phone penetration makes the mobile network a natural choice to educate people about climate change.

... The impact of this innovative effort is to be assessed when Denmark hosts the U.N.'s international climate change conference, known as COP15, in Copenhagen this December.

Dexter iPhone Trailer

News that an iPhone game is in the works based on Miami's finest blood-spatter analyst is murderously exciting. Above is the game's first teaser trailer.

[PocketGamer]

iPhone Pushes Mobile Gaming To $5.4 Billion

Thanks to smartphones like Apple's iPhone 3G, mobile gaming rose 20% and hit $5.4 billion in 2008, according to a new report from Jupiter Research. Information Week reports.

The report said overall game downloads were flat in the U.S. and Western European markets, but volumes rose in developing markets like India and China. While Java-based games saw a steep decline, those volumes were offset by a sharp increase of iPhone game downloads.

... The report also said that more than half of games downloaded by 2012 will be funded by advertising.

Hasbro Announces Its First Board Game to Include Live Clues via Text

According to the Boston Globe, Rhode Island toymaker Hasbro Inc. is looking to keep board games relevant by adding a text-messaging feature to a new edition of CLUE.

In "CLUE: Secrets & Spies" edition, "each player takes on the role of a top international spy tasked with infiltrating the Criminal League for Ultimate Espionage to stop its evil scheme for world domination by intercepting the nefarious Agent Black," Hasbro said in a Press Release that described the game.

"The new optional text messaging feature transmits game shaping intelligence to Agents Plum, Scarlet, Mustard and the others while an ultraviolet, secret decoder reveals hidden missions to the players," Hasbro said.

Tic Tac Toe by SMS

Texting Games has launched a SMS based Tic Tac Toe. You can play against your friends by text messaging.

Simply Text the word TicTac and your firends number to 41411 to begin. Example: if your friends num is 4045551212 then text TicTac 4045551212 to 41411. Your friend will get a request to play. They will reply Ok to start. Who ever starts the game will go first. You will be given a board of numbers. To select your square just reply with the number for the square you wish to play.

Guitar Hero mobile: New look, new sound, drums!

Yesterday, the mobile version of Guitar Hero World Tour became available on AT&T phones. News.com gives it a (rave) review.

Mobile Gaming Now a $1-Billion Industry in US

A new report from market research group In-Stat claims that the fragmented, oft-maligned U.S. cellphone gaming market is already worth $1 billion. Gamasutra reports.

Titled IMobile Applications Series: US Mobile Gaming 2008–2013, the report covers factors necessary to promoting awareness of mobile games, limitation to purchase, the iPhone's impact, and mobile gaming revenue forecasts for the U.S. and global markets through 2013.

According to In-Stat's research, continued momentum in the global mobile gaming market is expected to result in revenues topping $6.8 billion by 2013.

Read full article.

It's game over for popular 'Tetris' clone

The No. 1 free download from Apple's App Store, a clever Tetris clone for the iPhone called Tris is no longer available. USA Today reports.

As of Wednesday, the puzzle game has been removed from the App Store, following a threatening letter received by Apple by The Tetris Company over alleged copyright infringement, says Tris developer Noah Witherspoon.

The disappointed college student writes this on his blog, entitled Two Finger Play.

"I'm afraid it's essentially game over. Do they have a case? No. Not really. I am convinced that if it went to court, the 'copyright' claim would get thrown out completely. The trademark, perhaps not -- but if I changed the name, to e.g. Trys, that would be much harder for them to argue."

'Dexter' Gets an iPhone Game

It was revealed at a Comic-Con Showtime panel that a Dexter iPhone game is coming. It will be about integrating texting, calling, and gesturing to play the game. To further intrigue/complicate/confuse the issue, he game will be arriving episodically.

[via g4tv.com]

Guitar Hero leaps into cellphones

Cellphone carriers are rolling out a mobile version of Guitar Hero, and customers are subscribing at a pace that could make it the most successful console-to-cellphone crossover game in history. IHT reports.

"As the cellphone rapidly emerges as the next computing platform, cellphone games would seem to be a natural application.

As of May, the latest period for which M:Metrics provided data, Guitar Hero's mobile version ranked at No.9, but it had climbed from No.85 in three months.

For consumers, the trend could eventually lead to big improvements in mobile gaming - a market that has drastically fallen short of market projections. But for now the Guitar Hero phenomenon is a lot like Jimi Hendrix, circa 1968: a great solo act, without backup."

Eco conscious mobile gaming

An interesting new initiative has been launched using mobile gaming as a mouthpiece in helping educate gamers on issues of climate change.

Dubbed Connect2Climat, this innovative program is hopes to engage players on a fundamental entertainment level with an eco educational agenda in tow.

According to the Project Director, "It is our corporate social responsibility to use latest technologies that enable us to reach out to millions on one click of a button”.

[via Nokia Conversations]