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Facebook Being Investigated Over Forced Use of Credits to Pay for Games
Wed Feb 29, 2012 at 01:00 PM ETTags: Facebook, Facebook Credits, Virtual Currencies, Industry Trends (all tags)
If the suit is successful, there could be implications for similar virtual currencies.
If you've played any Facebook games recently, you've probably noticed that to buy anything in the game, you're required to buy Facebook Credits, instead of just getting to spend normal dollars and cents. This practice, according to the two law firms that are looking at the issue, may be a violation of U.S. antitrust laws. As Gamasutra's Eric Caoli explains it, "Companies cannot force customers to purchase a product they do not want in order to receive an unrelated item they actually want."
Derek Newman and Brian Strange are the two attorneys taking on this issue and they've set up a website to inform the public of the problem. They say that not only does this practice elbow out other virtual currency businesses, but it negatively affects both the game developer and the end user.
Even if this investigation reveals that nothing illegal is happening, the campaign will certainly raise consumer awareness. This could, of course, have some impact on other platforms that exclusively use virtual currencies. We're looking at you Microsoft!
Source: Gamasutra
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Facebook Being Investigated Over Forced Use of Credits to Pay for Games
Wed Feb 29, 2012 at 01:00 PM ETTags: Facebook, Facebook Credits, Virtual Currencies, Industry Trends (all tags)
If the suit is successful, there could be implications for similar virtual currencies.
If you've played any Facebook games recently, you've probably noticed that to buy anything in the game, you're required to buy Facebook Credits, instead of just getting to spend normal dollars and cents. This practice, according to the two law firms that are looking at the issue, may be a violation of U.S. antitrust laws. As Gamasutra's Eric Caoli explains it, "Companies cannot force customers to purchase a product they do not want in order to receive an unrelated item they actually want."
Derek Newman and Brian Strange are the two attorneys taking on this issue and they've set up a website to inform the public of the problem. They say that not only does this practice elbow out other virtual currency businesses, but it negatively affects both the game developer and the end user.
Even if this investigation reveals that nothing illegal is happening, the campaign will certainly raise consumer awareness. This could, of course, have some impact on other platforms that exclusively use virtual currencies. We're looking at you Microsoft!
Source: Gamasutra
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
Zynga's Newest Games Flop - Analysts Grow Concerned
Thu Jan 19, 2012 at 10:30 AM ETTags: Zynga, Facebook, Social Games, Industry Trends (all tags)
'Hidden Chronicles' has just 14% of the user base that 'CastleVille' had after launch.
Ever since Zynga stock went public, the company has been under very close watch by analysts. After all, Zynga is the biggest company of its kind and could very well determine the future of social gaming with its success or failure. So far in 2012, things are leaning towards the latter.
In 2011, Zynga launched 'CastleVille' and 'Empires & Allies' which both accrued over 5 million daily active users (DAUs) within just two weeks. By comparison, the company's most recent title, 'Hidden Chronicles,' sits at just 710,000 DAUs.
Cowen and Company analyst Doug Creutz explains that there's a regular dropoff rate of around 18% in DAUs on new titles. That means to keep the same amount of people involved, the new games have to do at least as well as the old ones. "The company must add 9-10 million DAUs per quarter from new games just to keep total DAUs constant."
Source: Gamasutra
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Gaikai Bringing Cloud Gaming to Facebook - 'World of Warcraft' Demoed
Tue Jan 17, 2012 at 12:30 PM ETTags: World of Warcraft, Cloud Gaming, Streaming, Gaikai, Facebook (all tags)
This massive availability will lower the price of entry even further.
'World of Warcraft' is pretty danged big. It's the biggest MMO around in terms of a paid subscriber base and mainstream coverage and it doesn't look like anything can touch it. At least some of that popularity comes from the incredibly low cost of entry - you don't need a killer PC to handle the game.
Now, things are going to get even easier for players that want to jump into 'WoW' as cloud gaming company Gaikai is bringing the game to Facebook. The game will simply stream to your computer while you play on a gaming computer headquartered at Gaikai.
One of the nice things about 'World of Warcraft' as a streaming title is that it really doesn't require a lighting fast response time unless you're really serious about getting into PvP. It's also not graphically spectacular, so a drop in video quality while streaming might not be all that bad.
What this could mean to Blizzard is huge. The game is already free until level 20 and giving players the streaming option means that people without a decent PC can log onto the game and play without having to spend a dime on upgrades. It also makes the game a bit easier to play at work - not that we're suggesting anything.
Update: A Gaikai representative was quick to comment on the mistaken news. It turns out the company isn't actually bringing 'Warcraft' to Facebook at this point. It will be bringing cloud gaming to the social network in the future, but there are currently no plans to add 'WoW' into the mix. Based on the excitement this story has caused though, we're sure Gaikai is thinking it over long and hard.
Source: GameSpot
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Sony Adds Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and more to Bravia TVs
Fri Dec 02, 2011 at 12:00 PM ETTags: Sony, Bravia, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube (all tags)
The latest firmware update to 2011 Bravias brings plenty of added functionality, including laptop control.
Receivers, Blu-ray players and TVs are more and more frequently offering customers the ability to control their devices via a smartphone or tablet. If you can control your set from a less capable device, why not a laptop?
That very functionality is being implemented in the newest update to Sony's 2011 Bravia televisions. You'll be able to control different aspects of the set through your laptop including, thankfully, apps that would normally require you to pick letters one-by-one with your remote.
Also new to the TVs are YouTube HD for your high definition Epic Meal Time enjoyment and Facebook integration allows you to share those YouTube videos with your friends. Another new feature is the Twitter Ticker, which displays messages from your Twitter feed across the bottom of your screen as you watch. Could be a fun setup for sharing your thoughts on the game, the Oscars or whatever event you watch with friends.
Source: Engadget
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Cross-Platform 'Apples to Apples' hits PSN and XBLA in December
Thu Oct 27, 2011 at 12:30 PM ETTags: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Facebook, XBLA, PSN (all tags)
The incredibly popular party game is coming to your favorite high def systems just in time for the holiday season.
If you've never played 'Apples to Apples,' then you've been missing out on one of the most entertaining party games around. It's a simple word game that invites plenty of competition and lots of fun - perfect for a good group of friends or as an icebreaker for new folks.
Starting this December, you'll be able to get in on the fun in digital form with 'Apples to Apples' for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. You'll be able to play in the same room or over the internet with friends and family. Facebook and mobile releases are on the way too, but no timeframe has been announced yet.
Here's where it gets really cool - the game is going to be cross-platform. The press release for the game says that mobile and Facebook gamers will be able to connect to one another. It doesn't specify whether Xbox and PS3 versions will be able to do the same, but it sounds like there's a distinct possibility.
Source: THQ
Facebook Will Introduce New Media Sharing Integration
Thu Sep 22, 2011 at 07:05 PM ETTags: Facebook, Spotify, Netflix (all tags)
Spotify, Netflix and more will be linkable and playable directly through Facebook.
One of the really nice things about Facebook is the way it plays so friendly with YouTube. Just copy and paste the address of the YouTube video and bam - you've got an embedded video that any of your friends can look at and play.
The newest update to Facebook is going to make it possible to do that same thing with Spotify, Netflix, Dailymotion, Blockbuster and other media services in addition to cooking sites, exercise sites and more.
Check out the video from Facebook for a quick overview and the video from Spotify for a slightly more in depth take on what's going on.
On a disappointing note, Netflix is still up in the air for customers in the US, since there's a bit of confusion on the legality.
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Your Photos Could Appear In Warner's New Facebook Series
Sat Sep 03, 2011 at 12:00 PM ETTags: Warner, Facebook (all tags)
Assuming that's something you want, of course.
For some reason, people think that an interactive web series is something we desperately want. Perhaps some people do, but every attempt at it so far has been pretty lackluster.
Of course, that's not stopping Warner from giving it a go. The new series 'Aim High' stars Jackson Rathbone, Aimee Teegarden and Greg Germann - not A-List celebrities by any means, but still a pretty impressive lineup for a show designed for Facebook.
You can appear on the show, or at least your photos can, by linking your profile information with the show's Facebook page.
"Facebook is an increasingly influential destination for discovering and acquiring movie and television content," says president of digital distribution Greg Gewecke. " This effort takes video distribution to a whole new level by making the actual viewing experience personal and social in a truly innovative and entertaining way."
The series launches October 18th.
Source: Home Media Magazine
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Miramax Turns to Facebook Movie Rentals
Wed Aug 24, 2011 at 10:00 AM ETTags: Miramax, Facebook (all tags)
Twenty movies from the studio are now available on Facebook.
Facebook movie rentals are still a bit hard to get a handle on. Renting a movie on Facebook requires the purchase of Facebook credits which makes it less convenient and you're not getting better picture quality for the extra hassle.
Still, the folks at Miramax are giving the social media network a whirl. They've put 20 different movies up for rental at $3.00 a pop. You can watch previews and clips before renting and when you're ready to go for it, you've got a 48 hour period in which to watch your movie of choice.
The titles range from bad to great, like 'Good Will Hunting,' 'Kill Bill' and 'Chicago.' The price of each movie is 30 Facebook credits which comes out to $3.00 unless you buy a bundle. Of course, some of these movies are also available on Amazon at $2.00 each. So again, why use Facebook?
Source: Miramax eXperience
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Dolby Invites HDD Readers to Live Streaming Event on Monday July 11
Fri Jul 08, 2011 at 04:00 PM ETTags: Facebook, Michael S. Palmer (all tags)
Surround sound lovers, pull up a chair. Our friends over at Dolby are inviting you all to "Surrounded: 7.1 Cinema & Beyond" a live streaming event they're holding this coming Monday, July 11th on their Facebook page.
Why? Well, Dolby 7.1 (the theatrical version) is officially a year old. Since it debuted last summer on 'Toy Story 3,' twenty-five feature films have been mixed directly that format, with stellar auditory results like 'Tron: Legacy' and 'Tangled' later making their way onto Blu-ray Disc.
In celebration, Dolby is hosting a Filmmakers' Forum to discuss the impact of 7.1 Surround Sound on 2D and 3D movies. Featured guests will include Erik Aadahl (the supervising sound editor on 'Transformers: Dark of the Moon,' 'Kung Fu Panda 2,' and 'Megamind'), Eric Brevig (the director of 'Yogi Bear' and 'Journey to the Center of the Earth'), Michael Semanick (the re-recording mixer of 'Cars 2 and 'Toy Story 3'), Rohan Sippy (the director of 'Dum Maaro Dum'), and Kinson Tsang (the supervising sound designer on 'Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen' and 'The Lost Bladesman').
HOW DO I ATTEND?
Simple, head on over to Dolby's Livestream tab on their Facebook page to watch the event live.
WHEN DO I DO THIS?
Monday, July 11, 2011. 7:00PM-8:00PM (PDT)
HOW DO I ASK QUESTIONS?
Easy, you can do so by logging into the Livestream event itself on the Facebook page, or Tweet them a question using the #surrounded hashtag.
Hope to see you there!
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