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, THQ releases Saints Row: The Third and more of its popular games in the first non-indie Humble Bundle, women in the games industry talk about about the sexism they face in the workplace, and Atari celebrates Pong’s 40th anniversary.
You’ll also find reviews for Portal 2 In Motion, Crashmo, The Walking Dead Episode 5, King’s Bounty: Warriors of the North, Adventure Time, and Call of Duty: Black Ops Declassified.
News:
- Wiki Wiki what? Wikia raises $11M to help people create, collaborate, and be original
- The DeanBeat: Nintendo reveals the Wii mini and the opinions fly everywhere
- Mobile app downloads surged 33 percent after iPhone 5 launch
- It’s not a divorce, but Zynga’s new contract with Facebook allows them to see others
- Sony says PlayStation 3 sales soared during Black Friday week
- Brazilians are gung-ho for games, but they don’t always pay for them
- This week in the Nintendo Download: YouTube, Pac-Man, and Aero Porter
- New history of Atari commemorates the 40th anniversary of Pong
- THQ becomes first big publisher to release a ‘Humble Bundle’ (updated)
- The Wii U’s processor speed is slower than Xbox 360 and PS3
- GameStop: Knowledgeable employees ‘drive’ its growing downloadable content business
- Halo 4′s Crimson Map Pack introduces 3 new maps, 1 new mode
- Starz launches Spartacus social TV experience
- Binding of Isaac: Rebirth coming to consoles with 16-bit graphics
- Trio of former Angry Birds developers secure funding for their new studio
- Production woes push Oculus Rift VR headset release into mid-March
- Zynga goes philanthropic for Toys for Tots
- Sexism is alive and well in the game industry, #1reasonwhy tweets show us (Update)
- How EA can get people to care about Mass Effect again
- See how professional Russians, Internet personalities, and Robert Downey Jr. look behind the scenes of the Black Ops 2 ad
- Xbox 360 nearly doubles the sales of the Wii U during the week of Black Friday
- Nintendo and Wii U eShop impressing indie developers faster than Microsoft and Sony
- Forget the Sixaxis — the Wii U’s GamePad has nine-axis control
- Massively multiplayer online games continue to thrive in this free-to-play era
- Nintendo announces Wii Mini: A budget Wii coming to Canada for $100
- Syberia writer returning to pen a new sequel coming in 2014 or 2015
- Hotline Miami developer confirms a sequel is coming
- Insanely popular Minecraft headed to the tiny Raspberry Pi computer
Mobile news:
- Mobile app downloads surged 33 percent after iPhone 5 launch
- Letter by Letter offers deep strategy for fans of mobile word games
- The Vectrex lives again on iOS in Vectrex Regeneration
- Heyzap debuts leaderboards to show who dominates mobile games among your friends
- GameFly set to publish its first game, Writer Rumble, for iOS tomorrow
- Poker Smash, one of Xbox Live Arcade’s best puzzle games, is now on iPhone
- Tapjoy taps former Disney executive as its new CEO
- NBA 2K13 producer reveals exclusive tips for conquering the ‘New Dynasty’
- NBA 2K: MyLIFE tips and tricks straight from the developer
- Selfpubd finds a partner to promote indie mobile games (exclusive)
- Bake450 gives “cat breading” meme lovers their own iOS game
- Mobile games saw a worldwide Thanksgiving surge in downloads
- Spike’s Video Game Awards: The mobile-game problem
- Kabam signs exclusive distribution deal in fast-growing Turkey market
Reviews:
- Portal 2 In Motion adds three mechanics, subtracts one plot (review)
- Crashmo shows smartphone puzzle games who’s boss (review)
- The Walking Dead Episode 5: No Time Left ends with a literal bang (review)
- Adventure Time puts a cartoon spin on a weird classic (review)
- Call of Duty: Black Ops Declassified should be dishonorably discharged (review)
- Warriors of the North adds to King’s Bounty’s tactics but not to its character (review)
Interviews:
- Enter The Robo Matrix: a real thing that you can control from anywhere in the world (interview)
- A soldier’s perspective on Call of Duty and its ilk (interview)
Pieces of flair: