Join independent journalists and industry decision-makers at GamesBeat NEXT, returning to San Francisco November 2–3. The event brings together 500 executives, founders, investors and tech leaders shaping the $200 billion interactive economy for candid discussions on gaming, entertainment, technology and AI, plus executive networking and opportunities to build partnerships and close major deals.
This week, Ubisoft delays two of its next-gen launch games (Watch Dogs and The Crew) perilously close to the new console launch dates, mobile games are on the rise as developer Supercell gets a $3.5 billion valuation, and Zynga might still be in trouble after a cofounder splits.
You’ll also find reviews for Skylanders: Swap Force and Sonic Lost World.
News:
- The DeanBeat: Welcome to the Battle Royal
- GamesBeat panel spotlight: Creating mobile ads that don’t suck
- Check out the full agenda (so far) for GamesBeat 2013
- DICE Summit to celebrate the ‘new golden age of gaming’
- Payment platform Rixty teams with Microsoft to give gamers more ways to get Xbox Live gift cards
- Treasure shooter Ikaruga among 37 newly approved Steam Greenlight titles
- Jonathan Blow’s The Witness is ‘very big;’ development team polishing the world
- Xbox One’s exclusive Machinima experience knows what you want to watch
- Peter Relan’s Studio 9+ reaches beyond games with its first incubator class
- Grand Theft Auto Online glitch turns players into billionaires (updated)
- After Playfish, social-game veterans return with Samurai Siege, earning $50K a day
- CD Projekt Red’s The Witcher is getting its own comic book series from Dark Horse
Announcements and reveals:
- PlayStation 4 getting four PlayStation 3/Vita gems: Flower, Flow, Sound Shapes, and Escape Plan
- Crytek’s free-to-play Warface shooter goes live in North America next week
- Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 Remix heading to PlayStation 3 next year
Mobile news:
- The first iOS 7-only game built exclusively on Apple’s new SpriteKit game engine
- Dungeons & Dragons: Arena of War role-playing game goes live for iOS devices
- Random House expands into mobile games with Catch the Berry (exclusive)
- Star Wars: Tiny Death Star lets you manage the Empire’s technological terror
- Peak Games dominates mobile social games in the Middle East and Turkey
- Kabam to create another Fast & Furious mobile game
- Warner Bros. to create mobile version of Batman: Arkham Origins
Tech:
- AMD CEO says firm is shipping millions of chips for Xbox One, PlayStation 4 consoles
- After 6 years, Anki launches slot car game with artificial intelligence
- PlayStation 4′s so-called ‘Red Line of Death’ is ‘not true,’ says Sony boss
Ruh-roh:
- Analyst: Zynga’s new-CEO honeymoon could end soon as it continues to bleed users
- Zynga cofounder leaves the social-game developer
- The Crew delayed as Ubisoft works to make the racer a ‘perennial pillar’ on Xbox One, PlayStation 4
- Some Pokémon X and Y players reporting game-breaking save bug
GamesBeat 2013:
- GamesBeat panel spotlight: Creating mobile ads that don’t suck
- GamesBeat panel spotlight: How e-sports has become a hot sports ticket
- GamesBeat panel spotlight: How to monetize with alternatives to big spending on user acquisition
- GamesBeat speaker spotlight: Hope for Windows 8 gaming?
- Spike TV’s Geoff Keighley to interview Sony Online’s boss John Smedley at GamesBeat 2013
- GamesBeat speaker spotlight: DeNA West’s Clive Downie wants consequential player engagement on mobile
Trailer hoedown:
- Jersey physics and Phil Collins: Check out the NBA 2K14 PlayStation 4, Xbox One trailer
- Check out the first advertisement for the world’s most realistic gaming gun (video)
- This is what the Xbox One friends list looks like (video)
All this funding:
- Chinese mobile-gaming company Chukong raises $50 million in latest funding round
- AppLift raises another $7M for mobile-game marketing
- Puzzle & Dragons developer and SoftBank invest $1.5 billion in Clash of Clans studio
- Oculus VR competitor from former Valve employees now on Kickstarter
Earnings:
- Sept. 2013 NPD: Grand Theft Auto V lifts software sales a staggering 52%, Wii U up
- Ubisoft’s stock price plummets 25 percent on major delays and missed earnings
- What Supercell’s $3B valuation means for the mobile game business (hint: Party time!)
- Caesar’s Interactive rules social casino games again in Q3 — but its revenue doesn’t grow
Reviews:
- Sonic Lost World is fun and pretty — but it’s also cruel and merciless (review)
- Skylanders Swap Force leaps over its predecessors with jumping and platforming elements (review)
Interviews:
Pieces of flair:
- 10 current-gen innovations that changed the way we play games
- Who needs triple-A? These 10 next-gen indie games look amazing
- How to turn a developer into a founder: Advice from those who’ve done it
- ESPN’s ‘E:60′ covers the history of sports games from Pong to Madden NFL 25
- 5 best new Pokémon in X and Y
- Getting Mewtwo and other tips and tricks for Pokémon X and Y