It looks like Sony will follow Nintendo's cue and focus on mobile gaming. The company announced today that it will form a new business unit tasked with bringing PlayStation titles and IP to iOS and Android devices. That sounds like fantastic news for gamers, but there's a caveat here, it seems. Forward Works, Sony's mobile gaming arm, is going to focus on users based in Japan and Asia, according to today's announcement. The branch will be formally created on April 1-- not a hoax (we hope) and the same date that Sony Computer Entertainment comes to be Sony Interactive Entertainment-- so we're likely to learn more after then. Atsushi Morita, SCE's head in Japan and Asia, will lead Forward Works. Other directors of the company include Andrew House, who is Group CEO of SCE. Nintendo launched its first mobile game this month, Miitomo. The long-awaited title isn't really a mainstream release, though. Rather, it is a social app that lets users create cartoon-like avatars-- very much like the 'Miis' you can create with the Nintendo Wii. That's likely to limit its appeal to hardcore Nintendo fans. Sony, however, has hinted that its mobile titles will be "full-fledged," which makes us optimistic that they will be more universally appealing. Sony's previous effort at tapping smartphones-- PlayStation Mobile-- was tied to its Vita handheld. Source: TechCrunch.com
It's also giving you a way to try games from ads without downloading them first. Google is about to introduce some behind-the-scenes frameworks that should make playing and sharing Android games considerably easier. On top of expanding Android game recording to let developers add the characteristic themselves (due in the "coming months"), it's adding a live streaming feature. If you want to share your Alto's Adventure exploits on YouTube as they happen, it'll be an option. Details aren't available as I write this, but it could do a lot to expand the live game streaming community beyond console and PC players. Also, Google is making use of Android app streaming to swing you in to those games. It's offering a special marketing format, the Search Trial Run Ad, that lets you try Android games in the browser for up to 10 minutes-- you don't have to jump to the Play Store and download the title first. As you 'd guess, you'll get an offer to install the game afterward if you're enamored with the enjoy. While it's a calculated marketing ploy, it could help a lot if you've ever been curious about a game but didn't want to devote to installing the whole thing right away. Source: engadget.com
Though we’re constantly buffeted by stories about new Android-powered game consoles and the continued growth of the Google Play Store, the fact still stands: An Android port seems to remain a footnote in development process, an afterthought, a thing that has to be done as opposed to the thing to do. Even today, you’d be hard-pressed to find a game that’s exclusive to the Linux-based platform, or a developer willing to profess an undying affection for Android. People might make Android games, but they don’t seem like it. It’s a jungle out there When Apple launched its App Store in 2008, it changed the playing field for mobile games and made them more accessible to people who wouldn’t be caught dead buying a dedicated handheld like a Nintendo DS or a Sony Playstation Portable. Success stories began rolling in. Angry Birds became a global phenomenon, Rovio Games a national hero. Draw Something drew creator OMGpop away from the brink of bankruptcy and into a $180 million buyout offer—all within seven weeks. The message was clear: The right application can do more than pay your bills; it can make you a rock star. But while Apple might have been the one to get the ball rolling, Google was not far behind. The Google Play Store has matured since Android first launched, and many of the apps found in the App Store can also be found in Google’s digital store. Android also has a higher market share than iOS, making it the most used mobile operating system worldwide. For all intents and purposes, the Google Play Store should be the ideal environment for any developer, a digital gold mine ready for the harvest. But is it really the Shangri-La that it has been advertised as? Chris Pruett certainly thinks so. Chris is a part of Robot Invader, a Silicon Valley-based game development studio with a fondness for 1950s monster movies and cutesy, action-based titles. Both Wind-up Knight and the company’s newest game, Rise of the Blobs, have enjoyed consistently high praise from the press. Pruett says that the revenue garnered from Android users has beaten iOS sales figures by a solid two to one. Read complete at: techhive.com wrote by Cassandra Khaw
At my tablet, my first game downloaded was Angry Birds, from Rovio Mobile. I glad a lot and enjoyed many times.
What does it take to make an addictive game? Not much -- just throw in some super simple controls, cute graphics, and basic physics. Rovio Mobile's Angry Birds is one such game that includes all these elements, and today the studio's just released a public Android beta to cater those without an iOS, webOS or Maemo 5 device. In case you're not already familiar with the popular title, the backstory is that a gang of hungry pigs snatched away some eggs from the birds, forcing the feathered creatures to embark on a rescue mission for the sake of their survival. The gameplay on the Android version is just as simple as before: in each level you use a fixed slingshot to fling the birds -- one at a time -- into the forts, in order to kill all the pigs inside. As a secondary challenge, you must also attempt to get a three-star rating depending on the amount of structural material you destroy, so the key is to perfect your shooting angle. At the beginning you're only given one type of bird that does nothing more than just headbutting, but throughout the game you'll come across six more birds, each possessing one special power: multiply, explode, accelerate, dropping egg bombs, boomerang, and extra strength. Don't worry, the instructions are pretty clear when you first meet these enhanced kamikaze birds -- most involve just a single tap anywhere to trigger their special abilities mid-flight. Once you get the hang of it, you'll soon be wanting to try out all sorts of trajectories to take vengeance on those cheeky green hogs. Seriously, the pigs really do laugh at you when your birds miss them. Angry Birds at Android Market - At Amazon Enjoy of Trailer:
Here's some fresh news from the Rovio stable. The Finnish gaming studio is all set to launch a new game in association with DreamWorks Animation called The Croods, which is expected to reach iOS and Android on March 14th. Sharing his thoughts on this partnership, Petri Jarvilehto, EVP of Games at Rovio Entertainment said, "DreamWorks Animation's The Croods is filled with wonderful characters and creatures in an incredibly detailed, inventive world - it was just begging for its very own mobile game! It's been an incredible experience having our two teams working closely together on extending the story to mobile platforms." The Croods is an upcoming 3D animated movie from DreamWorks Animation, SKG Inc set to release on March 22 2013. It narrates the story of the world's first caveman family that sets out on a road trip adventure. The family is said to be moving beyond the Stone Age era with the use of a new r-evolutionary tool: the IDEA! The film will star voice overs from actors like Nicolas Cage, Ryan Reynolds, Emma Stone, Catherine Keener, Clark Duke, and Cloris Leachman. "Rovio set the industry standard in mobile gaming with Angry Birds, and we believe their massive community of active users will go wild for The Croods," said DreamWorks Animation's Head of Global Interactive, Chris Hewish. He further added, "We've developed a close and collaborative relationship with Rovio in which our world class filmmakers created an incredible piece of custom animation on the home screen that introduces players to the game's beautifully rich aesthetics." From the images, the game seems to be strategy-based combining elements of Farmville and Pokemon, especially looking at the different creatures. Video:
