Hollywood & Games returns to Los Angeles on December 10, bringing together 250+ executives, founders, investors and decision-makers at the Grammy Museum's Clive Davis Theater. Explore the business of entertainment's biggest partnership through independent, journalist-led conversations on IP, investment, storytelling and new opportunities across gaming and Hollywood. Space is limited. Secure your seat today.
This week, Quake creator John Carmack joins Oculus VR as chief technology officer, Amazon may be working on an Android console, and GamesBeat writer Dean Takahashi takes an in-depth look at the Last of Us in a multipart interview series.
You’ll also find reviews for Ibb and Obb, Mario & Luigi: Dream Team, and The Drowning as well as a preview for Strife.
News:
- The DeanBeat: A visit inside Blizzard shows what it’s like to live and breathe games
- Seattle-based HouseOgames looks to foster indie developers that have new ideas
- Major League Gaming drops StarCraft II from its next championship event
- Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 Remix trailer reveals high-def boss battles and more
- Quake creator John Carmack joins Oculus VR as chief technology officer
- Czarcade’s Clobbr takes the top prize at Casual Connect’s indie showcase
- Zynga launches a new match-3 game on Facebook: Fairy Tale Twist
- 3DS owners can now get StreetPasses from Nintendo Zone retail locations
- War of the Roses developer reveals War of the Vikings followup
- Sony Online Entertainment teams with Wikia to reach out to EverQuest Next fans
- Former F.E.A.R. developers reveal atmospheric black-and-white shooter Betrayer
Mobile news:
- PC and mobile games drive 60% revenue growth for Nexon
- How Electronic Arts is chasing Puzzle & Dragons with Tetris Monsters
- Lumosity demonstrates how to get your app to the top of the App Store
- Following Kakao and Line, mobile messaging platform Tango launches its first internally produced game (exclusive)
- Localytics overhauls its web and mobile apps analytics platform (exclusive)
- Marriott launches virtual traveling game Xplor for iOS
- Chinese game publisher Yodo1 moves into global market with Cavemania
Tech:
- Is Amazon creating an Android video game console?
- Nvidia: Every Shield ‘we’ve shipped so far has sold out’
- PlayStation 4 does what Xbox One won’t: Free livestreaming and video sharing
- Xbox One ‘Day One’ edition comes with special controller, Achievement
- MSI launches ‘the world’s thinnest and lightest’ 17-inch gaming laptop
- North Korean tablet won’t give you Internet access, but it will play Angry Birds
Ruh-roh:
- Nintendo sues modding and pirating website
- Zynga finally says it will shut down Draw Something developer OMGPOP that it bought for $180M
- Activision shareholder files suit over Vivendi stock buyback
Nintendo Direct:
- Badges and microchallenges enhance Mario & Luigi: Dream Team
- The Wonderful 101 Nintendo Direct coming this week
- Nintendo announces Animal Crossing Plaza for Wii U
- Tecmo Bowl and more classics heading to 3DS eShop
- Professor Layton and his hat appearing in two games in 2014
- Sonic Lost World Wii U and 3DS detailed
Trailer hoedown:
Download extravaganza:
- Apocalypse is the final downloadable-content pack for Call of Duty: Black Ops II
- Call of Duty: Black Ops II developer teases mysterious Origins content with a gigantic robot
- Create the first female clown president with Saints Row IV’s character-creator app
All this funding:
- Above Jack’s Surfboards, indie game creator Brian Fargo holds court amid his Kickstarter riches
- American McGee hits his Kickstarter target for Alice: Otherlands
Acquisitions incorporated:
Earnings:
Reviews:
- Mario & Luigi: Dream Team is a wonderful celebration of Year of Luigi (review)
- The Drowning’s unique controls can’t save a boring game (review)
- Ibb and Obb’s clever platforming puzzles will test your friendships (review)
Previews:
Interviews:
- Disney Planes director on the symbiotic relationship between animated film and video games (interview)
- Jon Radoff on the tricks of social gameplay in Game of Thrones: Ascent (interview)
- Strife embodies the rising swagger of seasoned developer S2 Games (interview)
- The Last of Us creators compare their blockbuster game’s beginning and ending (interview)
- Flamethrowers and super hearing: the gameplay decisions in The Last of Us (interview)
- What inspired The Last of Us (interview)
- The definitive interview with the creators of Sony’s blockbuster The Last of Us (part two)
- The Last of Us creators react to critics of game’s female characters (exclusive interview)
- The definitive interview with the creators of Sony’s blockbuster The Last of Us (part 1)
- Disney Interactive executive discusses the fine line between hardcore and family-friendly (interview)
- How video game giant Ubisoft will dive into movies with an Assassin’s Creed film (interview)
Pieces of Flair: