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.
We only have a couple of weeks left in 2013, which means GamesBeat has started its year-end coverage. Of course, we’ve also kept busy covering a week’s worth of news, including info from a new Nintendo Direct broadcast, Call of Duty: Ghost’s “troubling” numbers, and much more.
You can catch up on all of it below.
Looking back (and forward)
- The DeanBeat: The 10 most anticipated games of 2014 (poll)
- These are the games you played the most in 2013, according to Raptr (infographic)
- From NES to Xbox One: A look back at the biggest and best console launches
News
- Early Steam Machine components cost $1,300, according to repair site iFixit
- Xbox-only documentary series to kick off in 2014 with investigation of the Atari E.T. landfill
- DayZ’s standalone release made more than $5 million in one day
- Americans will spend $20.5B on games in 2013, with 65% of that via digital channels
- Marvel’s ‘The Avengers’ coming to Minecraft: Xbox 360 Edition soon
- Demand for PlayStation 4 is 3.3 times greater than Xbox One, says shopping site
- Fans pledged $200M to game crowdfunding projects on Kickstarter this year
- Disney’s Star Wars: Attack Squadrons is a free-to-play space sim with X-wings and TIE Fighters
- Rumor suggests Xbox One will launch in China in late 2014
- Analyst: Call of Duty: Ghosts’ numbers are ‘troubling’
- Vita version of Final Fantasy X|X-2 HD to hit alongside PS3 release in March
News from Nintendo Direct
- Every trailer from today’s Nintendo Direct: Zelda, Yoshi, and more
- NES Remix is Wii U’s ode to Nintendo’s past
- Sonic: Lost World is getting Yoshi’s Island Zone expansion
- Nintendo brings Chibi-Robo: Photo Finder to North America
- Nintendo is giving Luigi his Ph.D in Dr. Luigi for Wii U
- Tecmo Koei and Nintendo team up for Zelda: Hyrule Warriors combat game
Mobile and social
- GameSalad introduces $500K fund to encourage developers to make games for Tizen OS
- Zynga’s Mark Pincus asked Obama to pardon NSA leaker Edward Snowden
- The Magic Kingdom launches Disney Hidden Worlds for social mobile users
- Mobile gamers are quicker to drop cash on social games than players on the web
- November downloads show how dynamic (and international) the mobile gaming world has become
- Why the console-development veterans behind Marvel Puzzle Quest plan to stick with mobile
- Google’s Niantic Labs formally launches massive mobile game Ingress
- Candy Crush Saga and Clash of Clans made more money than any other iOS app in 2013
- The real driving forces behind hardcore social games
- Minecraft and Candy Crush Saga dominate Apple’s iOS charts for 2013
- King unleashes Dreamworld expansion for Candy Crush Saga
- Gree’s Knights & Dragons hits $5M in revenue in 30 days
- Famo.us shows the prettiest of 3D user interfaces for web-based mobile devices
- Apple names Disney Animated as the best iPad app of the year
- Trip Hawkins’ new game helps kids learn about their feelings
Reviews
- Community reviews spotlight: Super Mario 3D World, Ryse: Son of Rome, and more
- Republique: Episode 1 nails a Big Brother vibe but struggles with repetitive stealth-action (review)
- Cut the Rope 2 introduces fun new friends but feeds Om Nom the same old candy (review)
Previews
- Watch the first 30 minutes of NES Remix for Wii U
- Halo: Spartan Assault’s lead designer Mike Ellis tells us how we can blast The Flood in co-op on Xbox One (interview)
Pieces of flair
- An IBM executive reacts to Ubisoft’s Watch Dogs game about hacking smart cities
- Tales from the gray market: The highs and lows of flipping next-gen consoles
- 5 extremely rare special-edition consoles fit for presidents and queens
- EA Sports’ Ignite is the Michael Jordan of game engines, which is a good and bad thing