   The Hong Kong-based 6waves previously published Lolapp's Ravenwood Fair, and Lolapps CEO Arjun Sethi told Gamasutra that with this new partnership, 6waves will provide Lolapps with more direct access to "distribution and access to more development capabilities," enabling Lolapps to release its social games on platforms beyond Facebook and even on mobile devices. In addition to helping Lolapps' games expand to other platforms, 6waves will use Lolapps' products to attract new publishing partners and strengthen its presence on a range of social networks. In particular, 6waves will use Lolapps' recently acquired Fliso engine to attract publishing partners, using Ravenwood Fair as the engine's showcase title. "We will leverage some of [Lolapps'] stuff like their analytics platform and the Fliso engine, which we feel will be like an equalizer that will help third part developers get on the platform very quickly, and will facilitate very fast and easy development," said 6waves CEO Rex Ng. Sethi added that Lolapps will develop and work on the Fliso engine as before, and 6waves will promote the engine and provide it to any developers within its network. Ng said that with Lolapps' games at its disposal, 6waves will be able to launch internally-developed titles and establish a strong foothold on Asian-focused social networks like Mixi and Hangame. "Now that Lolapps is part of our team, we have a good pipeline for launching games in a global fashion," he explained. Sethi said that the two companies have shared a similar vision for growth since working together on Ravenwood Fair, which helped inspire the original idea for the merger. "We had the same strategy and the same alignment regarding where we wanted to go -- part of that was international, and other part was mobile growth, etcetera," he said. "It began to make sense for us to start working together, especially because we were working together from a partnership perspective." He noted that expanding into publishing was "always part of [Lolapp's] mindset." To achieve this goal, Lolapps chose to join with 6waves, an established publisher, so it could expand its business while still remaining focused on game development. "6waves wasn't focused on development; they were focused on publishing and making sure that it worked. For us, we get to think less about it and still get to execute on that vision, as 6waves continues to do that for us," Sethi continued. With this new partnership, Sethi will now report to 6waves' Ng, though he said that the companies will remain largely independent, with 6waves primarily interacting with Lolapps to promote and distribute its games and tech. The executives noted that in the wake of the merger, the companies will retain all of their current employees, and continue to operate from separate offices across the United States, Japan, Hong Kong, and the UK. |
Thứ Ba, 19 tháng 7, 2011
Lolapps Merges With Social Game Publisher 6waves
New Video Poker Games at Virgin casino Online
It has been a long time since there has been an addition to the video poker games category at Virgin Casino. Virgin Casino offers very few video poker variants and therefore the additions are more than welcome. These new variants are from the Microgaming portfolio accessed through the QuickFire platform. The first of the new video poker variants is Aces and Eights. It is characterized by high payout for Four of a Kind (Aces or Eights) hand rankings, which is more than that for straight flush. It pays out 80 coins per coin wagered. Four of a Kind (Sevens) also has a special payout of 50 coins per coin wagered. These enhanced payouts have been made possible by reducing the payout of the remaining Four of a Kind hands to 20 coins per coin wagered. The payouts have also been marginally reduced for Full House and Flush. The payout table has been so tweaked as to offer a 99.09% return to the player.
Aces and Eights video poker at Virgin Casino offers the regular Microgaming features. Players can wager with up to 5 coins per hand. The advantage of wagering with 5 coins lies in the payout for Royal Flush. At 4,000 coins for 5 coins wagered it is more than the pro rata payout of 250 coins per coin wagered offered for wagers with up to 4 coins. The Microgaming video poker gamble game is also available in Aces and Eights. This allows players to try and double their payouts if they want to. The coin size ranges from 0.25 credits to 5.00 credits. The minimum bet, with 1 coin wagered, is 0.25 credits. The maximum bet with 5 coins wagered is 25.00 credits. The jackpot payout at maximum bet works out to 20,000 credits.
The other video poker addition at Virgin Casino is Bonus Deuces Wild. This variant has two differences from the standard Jacks or Better. The twos act as wild cards and there are special payouts for certain poker hand rankings. Natural Royal Flush pays 800 coins per coin wagered, except when 5 coins are wagered. Then the jackpot payout is 5,000 coins. The next payouts per coin wagered are 400 coins for Four Deuces with an Ace, 200 coins for Four of a Kind (Deuces), 80 coins for Five of a Kind (Aces), 40 coins for Five of a Kind (Threes, Fours or Fives), 25 coins for Wild Royal Flush and 18 coins for Five of a Kind (Sixes through to Kings). The return to the player for Double Deuces Wild is 99.15%.
Virgin Casino is licensed by the Alderney Gambling Control Commission and offers online casino games from a number of software providers through the GTS platform.
Aces and Eights video poker at Virgin Casino offers the regular Microgaming features. Players can wager with up to 5 coins per hand. The advantage of wagering with 5 coins lies in the payout for Royal Flush. At 4,000 coins for 5 coins wagered it is more than the pro rata payout of 250 coins per coin wagered offered for wagers with up to 4 coins. The Microgaming video poker gamble game is also available in Aces and Eights. This allows players to try and double their payouts if they want to. The coin size ranges from 0.25 credits to 5.00 credits. The minimum bet, with 1 coin wagered, is 0.25 credits. The maximum bet with 5 coins wagered is 25.00 credits. The jackpot payout at maximum bet works out to 20,000 credits.
The other video poker addition at Virgin Casino is Bonus Deuces Wild. This variant has two differences from the standard Jacks or Better. The twos act as wild cards and there are special payouts for certain poker hand rankings. Natural Royal Flush pays 800 coins per coin wagered, except when 5 coins are wagered. Then the jackpot payout is 5,000 coins. The next payouts per coin wagered are 400 coins for Four Deuces with an Ace, 200 coins for Four of a Kind (Deuces), 80 coins for Five of a Kind (Aces), 40 coins for Five of a Kind (Threes, Fours or Fives), 25 coins for Wild Royal Flush and 18 coins for Five of a Kind (Sixes through to Kings). The return to the player for Double Deuces Wild is 99.15%.
Virgin Casino is licensed by the Alderney Gambling Control Commission and offers online casino games from a number of software providers through the GTS platform.
Business digest: Austin game developer confirms layoffs
Austin-based game developer confirms laying off workers
Austin-based game developer UTV True Games confirmed Tuesday that it has laid off workers, but did not say how many.
Don Choi, vice president of the company's online division, said in a statement that "a fraction" of the company's employees who worked on the online role-playing game "Faxion Online" were laid off.
Choi was not available for comment Tuesday and a spokesman didn't know how many employees were laid off. The company employed 53 people as of last fall.
The recently released "Faxion Online" will continue to run and "be updated frequently," Choi said. Another game, Planet Crashers, remains in development.
True Games' founder, Jeff Lujan, left the company months ago and was recently named CEO of the startup Digital Harmony Games.
STOCKS
Apple price, boosted by iPhone, iPad, leaps in extended trading
NEW YORK — Apple Inc.'s results trumped expectations for yet another quarter, with iPhone and iPad sales setting new records.
Its stock surged $19.85, or 5.3 percent, to $396.70 in extended trading after the results came out Tuesday. The stock was already at record highs.
The strong results show that Apple can deliver even with CEO Steve Jobs on indefinite medical leave. It was Apple's first full quarter since Jobs turned over day-to-day operations in January to the company's chief operating officer, Tim Cook. Jobs remains involved in major decisions.
Net income in the fiscal third quarter, which ended in June, was $7.31 billion, or $7.79 per share. That's more than double the $3.25 billion, or $3.51 per share, a year ago. Analysts polled by FactSet were expecting earnings of $5.82 per share.
Revenue was $28.6 billion, up 82 percent from $15.7 billion a year ago. Analysts were expecting $24.8 billion.
BANKING
Bank of America reports $9.1 billion loss in 2nd quarter
NEW YORK — Things keep getting worse for Bank of America.
On Tuesday, the nation's largest bank reported a loss of $9.1billion during the second quarter, partly due to an $8.5 billion settlement with investors. That agreement, reached in June, settled claims that the bank had sold the investors poor-quality mortgage bonds. The bank had already announced several other settlements this year. The total so far to settle investor claims: $12.7 billion.
The large settlements and protracted losses related to mortgage loans are causing investors to worry about something bigger: Bank of America's overall financial strength. In a conference call to discuss the earnings report, analysts grilled the bank's executives.
At the top of their list of concerns was whether the bank will need to raise more money to comply with new international requirements that large banks hold more capital. If Bank of America needed to boost its capital reserves, it might look to raise more money by issuing more shares of its stock.
10 Video And Social Marketing Tips For Video Game Executives
Online video and social media marketing seem to be obvious choices for those tasked with marketing new video game titles, but I'm consistently surprised at how those strategies are misused, underused or used not at all.
Following are ways that video game marketing directors, brand managers and social media managers can help launch titles using video and social media marketing:
1. Keep your balls in the air. Just because a new title demands your attention, don't let go of titles that are still being actively discussed. In fact, the social media presence you spark on one title could be fertile ground for seeding your next title. Stay engaged and involved with fans rather than moving on. Rather than thinking with a one-and-done mentality, focus on making each video and social media marketing initiative build upon the next.
2. Seek co-branding for video and social initiatives. What other brands and products appeal to your game's demographics? Consider launching video and social media marketing initiatives that highlight both in a creative and engaging way. Co-branding helps your game reach new audiences and effectively requires less budget participation per partner, since two or more brands/products are involved in sharing the costs.
3. Involve celebrities who carry built-in audiences. Actors, musicians and other celebrities, either mainstream or on YouTube, are often highly connected in the social networking space and can bring an audience to the table. Beyond simple endorsements, allow them to be part of the project -- and in turn, share their work, along with your marketing message, with their audiences across Facebook, Twitter, YouTube. On the PR side, you might work in a mainstream media mention to reach even more people.
4. Go beyond the video game trailer. There are lots of ways to use video and social beyond posting an obligatory game trailer on video game blogs, publications and review sites. One creative concept and shoot can yield not only a game trailer but also a Web series, branded entertainment videos, videos with multiple or choose-your-own-endings, TV spots, "banned for TV" or "red band" trailers, Web-only TV spots, contest announcement videos and videos to be used by your PR team or agency. These can all be strategically released to create a swarm of activity and awareness across social media and video-sharing sites as well as crossing over to a mainstream audience. Going beyond a basic game trailer can also help your title reach people who don't buy video games -- but should.
5. Practice reactive engagement: act, interact, react and repeat. Engage reactively. Too many game publishers (and other industries, for that matter) launch video and social media initiatives but fail to act, interact and react effectively. Whether you've launched a multiple-video initiative backed by a contest across Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, or simply launched an engaging game trailer, you will have stirred up conversation. Make sure someone is joining that conversation, answering questions, posting comments, responding to comments, interacting with YouTube messages, emails and tweets! If there is no reactive engagement, then you're just broadcasting and hoping people talk about your video(s), but your brand and game title aren't represented in the conversation.
6. Allocate a creative and production budget. If you work with a creative, marketing or ad agency, creative and production fees can vary from flat-fee, hourly and even incentive-based systems, depending on the project and the agency. Beyond that, plan on budgeting for the type of production you need. Live action can add new elements to the game trailer formula and can be either very expensive or not so expensive as dictated by the creative. A man-on-the-street gag, "talking head" or "faux amateur" YouTube video will not necessarily price out the same as five actors on a stage or location set with a big crew, special effects, post production, motion graphics and digital effects. That said, many brand videos that appear to be consumer-generated (UGC), actually required considerable planning and production budget. The best bet is to share your requirements and budget and let your creative agency offer you ideas.
7. Allocate a social video marketing budget. Unless you are simply pitching a game trailer to gaming blogs and publications, plan to allocate budget for video seeding, which involves paid banner, blog and social game video placements, social networking and blog and publication outreach, all designed to take video content from "paid" views and engagement to "earned" views and engagement. Earned views are the "free" views that happen once videos are being shared organically. Video seeding will return infinitely more bang for your buck, so if you need more bang, go get more bucks!
8. Integrate video and social with other advertising, sales and PR initiatives. Video and social media marketing shouldn't exist in a bubble. Ideally, there should be a larger strategy at play. Integrating video and social media campaigns with your TV, print, radio, outdoor and PR initiatives will help you reach a much larger audience across multiple channels. Identify which internal teams and departments you should be working closely with on the launch and follow-through of your campaigns. Share the creative, production, viral marketing and social media strategy costs with these departments and create content that can be used for multiple purposes -- including TV and video banner ads, social networking, trailers, sales videos, promos, outdoor and PR outreach.
9. Educate yourself! Familiarize yourself with the strengths and weaknesses of video, viral and social media marketing, including what's possible, what's working, what hasn't worked -- and why. Study what the competition is doing and follow video, viral and social media marketing blogs, publications and thought leaders. 10. Don't be afraid to experiment -- and remember the basics. Take chances! Rather than copy what's out there now, think in terms of what can be the next big buzz-generating campaign and encourage your team and colleagues to think that way as well. Video and social are all about generating conversation and converting that conversation into action. Surround yourself with people who think this way and push the limits, while continuing to pursue traditional marketing and PR initiatives. If you're worried about jumping too far outside your comfort zone, just remember that video and social media are tools in your marketing toolbox, and don't represent a complete paradigm shift. Marketing is, and always has been, about influencing behavior and selling more stuff!
Following are ways that video game marketing directors, brand managers and social media managers can help launch titles using video and social media marketing:
1. Keep your balls in the air. Just because a new title demands your attention, don't let go of titles that are still being actively discussed. In fact, the social media presence you spark on one title could be fertile ground for seeding your next title. Stay engaged and involved with fans rather than moving on. Rather than thinking with a one-and-done mentality, focus on making each video and social media marketing initiative build upon the next.
2. Seek co-branding for video and social initiatives. What other brands and products appeal to your game's demographics? Consider launching video and social media marketing initiatives that highlight both in a creative and engaging way. Co-branding helps your game reach new audiences and effectively requires less budget participation per partner, since two or more brands/products are involved in sharing the costs.
3. Involve celebrities who carry built-in audiences. Actors, musicians and other celebrities, either mainstream or on YouTube, are often highly connected in the social networking space and can bring an audience to the table. Beyond simple endorsements, allow them to be part of the project -- and in turn, share their work, along with your marketing message, with their audiences across Facebook, Twitter, YouTube. On the PR side, you might work in a mainstream media mention to reach even more people.
4. Go beyond the video game trailer. There are lots of ways to use video and social beyond posting an obligatory game trailer on video game blogs, publications and review sites. One creative concept and shoot can yield not only a game trailer but also a Web series, branded entertainment videos, videos with multiple or choose-your-own-endings, TV spots, "banned for TV" or "red band" trailers, Web-only TV spots, contest announcement videos and videos to be used by your PR team or agency. These can all be strategically released to create a swarm of activity and awareness across social media and video-sharing sites as well as crossing over to a mainstream audience. Going beyond a basic game trailer can also help your title reach people who don't buy video games -- but should.
5. Practice reactive engagement: act, interact, react and repeat. Engage reactively. Too many game publishers (and other industries, for that matter) launch video and social media initiatives but fail to act, interact and react effectively. Whether you've launched a multiple-video initiative backed by a contest across Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, or simply launched an engaging game trailer, you will have stirred up conversation. Make sure someone is joining that conversation, answering questions, posting comments, responding to comments, interacting with YouTube messages, emails and tweets! If there is no reactive engagement, then you're just broadcasting and hoping people talk about your video(s), but your brand and game title aren't represented in the conversation.
6. Allocate a creative and production budget. If you work with a creative, marketing or ad agency, creative and production fees can vary from flat-fee, hourly and even incentive-based systems, depending on the project and the agency. Beyond that, plan on budgeting for the type of production you need. Live action can add new elements to the game trailer formula and can be either very expensive or not so expensive as dictated by the creative. A man-on-the-street gag, "talking head" or "faux amateur" YouTube video will not necessarily price out the same as five actors on a stage or location set with a big crew, special effects, post production, motion graphics and digital effects. That said, many brand videos that appear to be consumer-generated (UGC), actually required considerable planning and production budget. The best bet is to share your requirements and budget and let your creative agency offer you ideas.
7. Allocate a social video marketing budget. Unless you are simply pitching a game trailer to gaming blogs and publications, plan to allocate budget for video seeding, which involves paid banner, blog and social game video placements, social networking and blog and publication outreach, all designed to take video content from "paid" views and engagement to "earned" views and engagement. Earned views are the "free" views that happen once videos are being shared organically. Video seeding will return infinitely more bang for your buck, so if you need more bang, go get more bucks!
8. Integrate video and social with other advertising, sales and PR initiatives. Video and social media marketing shouldn't exist in a bubble. Ideally, there should be a larger strategy at play. Integrating video and social media campaigns with your TV, print, radio, outdoor and PR initiatives will help you reach a much larger audience across multiple channels. Identify which internal teams and departments you should be working closely with on the launch and follow-through of your campaigns. Share the creative, production, viral marketing and social media strategy costs with these departments and create content that can be used for multiple purposes -- including TV and video banner ads, social networking, trailers, sales videos, promos, outdoor and PR outreach.
9. Educate yourself! Familiarize yourself with the strengths and weaknesses of video, viral and social media marketing, including what's possible, what's working, what hasn't worked -- and why. Study what the competition is doing and follow video, viral and social media marketing blogs, publications and thought leaders. 10. Don't be afraid to experiment -- and remember the basics. Take chances! Rather than copy what's out there now, think in terms of what can be the next big buzz-generating campaign and encourage your team and colleagues to think that way as well. Video and social are all about generating conversation and converting that conversation into action. Surround yourself with people who think this way and push the limits, while continuing to pursue traditional marketing and PR initiatives. If you're worried about jumping too far outside your comfort zone, just remember that video and social media are tools in your marketing toolbox, and don't represent a complete paradigm shift. Marketing is, and always has been, about influencing behavior and selling more stuff!
DC Councilmember wants to repeal online gambling
WASHINGTON (AP) — A D.C. Councilmember said Tuesday that he wants to repeal a provision that would make the nation's capital the first jurisdiction in the country to offer legal online gambling.
Tommy Wells, a Democrat representing Ward 6, said he plans to introduce legislation this fall that would stop online gambling before it starts.
Online gambling was authorized outside the usual legislative process. Councilmember Michael A. Brown, I-At Large, added it to a budget bill late last year, and it became law in April when Congress did not object. The D.C. Lottery is preparing to start offering online poker, blackjack, slot machines and other games.
Wells said he objected to the way online gambling became law and said he did not fully understand the measure when it was slipped into the budget.
"It's not good government. It's not transparent," Wells told The Associated Press. He first announced his plan to repeal online gambling during an appearance on NewsChannel 8.
It's not clear whether any of Wells' Council colleagues would support a repeal. Councilmember Jack Evans, D-Ward 2, held a hearing on the D.C. Lottery's plans last month that prompted the lottery to delay its plans for implementation until after Oct. 1, the start of the 2012 fiscal year.
Evans, who chairs the Council's committee on finance and revenue, said Tuesday that he's spoken to Wells about the issue but does not favor repealing online gambling at this point. He plans to hold another hearing in October.
"I'm not going to do it until I'm very comfortable that this thing is OK," Evans said. "It could be a long time or not. I don't have a timetable in mind. It's not going to go into effect certainly until after October, if at all."
Evans said that because the law has been approved but not implemented, the Council has ample opportunity to give it the vetting it needs.
D.C. Lottery Director Buddy Roogow is planning to hold community forums in all eight of the city's wards to listen to concerns from residents and said Tuesday he would give "great weight" to the concerns aired at those meetings.
Some residents who testified at the June hearing said they were concerned about the prospect of bars, restaurants and hotels becoming destinations for gambling. The lottery plans to make gambling available through Internet protocol addresses at businesses before allowing people to log on from home.
Gamblers would have to be at least 19 years old, and the lottery intends to cap deposits in online accounts at $250 a week. The limits on wagering are meant to appeal to recreational players and not to poker professionals who've been out of work since federal authorities shut down the three most popular online poker sites this spring.
Intralot, the city's Greece-based lottery vendor, is developing the online gambling platform and will collect 51 percent of the net revenues, with the rest going to the district. The district's chief financial officer has estimated that online gambling could generate $13 million for the government over four years.
Wells said he was not morally opposed to gambling but that he wasn't sure how the new program would benefit the district.
"For some people, gambling can really be an addiction," he said. "I want to know what the public good is."
Brown, who has pushed hard for the district to become the first government to offer online gambling, said no other Council members have signaled their displeasure with the way the program was approved. He said he supported Evans' efforts to ensure the public had a say in its implementation.
"I want it to be done right, not fast," he said.
Wells' power on the Council was diminished last week when Council Chairman Kwame Brown stripped him of his chairmanship of the transportation committee. Wells was the only member to vote against the change. After the vote, he said his commitment to ethics and good government made some of his colleagues "uncomfortable."
Tommy Wells, a Democrat representing Ward 6, said he plans to introduce legislation this fall that would stop online gambling before it starts.
Online gambling was authorized outside the usual legislative process. Councilmember Michael A. Brown, I-At Large, added it to a budget bill late last year, and it became law in April when Congress did not object. The D.C. Lottery is preparing to start offering online poker, blackjack, slot machines and other games.
Wells said he objected to the way online gambling became law and said he did not fully understand the measure when it was slipped into the budget.
"It's not good government. It's not transparent," Wells told The Associated Press. He first announced his plan to repeal online gambling during an appearance on NewsChannel 8.
It's not clear whether any of Wells' Council colleagues would support a repeal. Councilmember Jack Evans, D-Ward 2, held a hearing on the D.C. Lottery's plans last month that prompted the lottery to delay its plans for implementation until after Oct. 1, the start of the 2012 fiscal year.
Evans, who chairs the Council's committee on finance and revenue, said Tuesday that he's spoken to Wells about the issue but does not favor repealing online gambling at this point. He plans to hold another hearing in October.
"I'm not going to do it until I'm very comfortable that this thing is OK," Evans said. "It could be a long time or not. I don't have a timetable in mind. It's not going to go into effect certainly until after October, if at all."
Evans said that because the law has been approved but not implemented, the Council has ample opportunity to give it the vetting it needs.
D.C. Lottery Director Buddy Roogow is planning to hold community forums in all eight of the city's wards to listen to concerns from residents and said Tuesday he would give "great weight" to the concerns aired at those meetings.
Some residents who testified at the June hearing said they were concerned about the prospect of bars, restaurants and hotels becoming destinations for gambling. The lottery plans to make gambling available through Internet protocol addresses at businesses before allowing people to log on from home.
Gamblers would have to be at least 19 years old, and the lottery intends to cap deposits in online accounts at $250 a week. The limits on wagering are meant to appeal to recreational players and not to poker professionals who've been out of work since federal authorities shut down the three most popular online poker sites this spring.
Intralot, the city's Greece-based lottery vendor, is developing the online gambling platform and will collect 51 percent of the net revenues, with the rest going to the district. The district's chief financial officer has estimated that online gambling could generate $13 million for the government over four years.
Wells said he was not morally opposed to gambling but that he wasn't sure how the new program would benefit the district.
"For some people, gambling can really be an addiction," he said. "I want to know what the public good is."
Brown, who has pushed hard for the district to become the first government to offer online gambling, said no other Council members have signaled their displeasure with the way the program was approved. He said he supported Evans' efforts to ensure the public had a say in its implementation.
"I want it to be done right, not fast," he said.
Wells' power on the Council was diminished last week when Council Chairman Kwame Brown stripped him of his chairmanship of the transportation committee. Wells was the only member to vote against the change. After the vote, he said his commitment to ethics and good government made some of his colleagues "uncomfortable."
Amazon Could Challenge Zynga With New Social Game
Jonathan Tweet is a noted paper-and-pencil RPG designer. He's best known for his contributions to Dungeons & Dragons 3rd Edition, and among RPG fans for his creation of the influential titles Ars Magica and Everway, along with many other RPG credits. Most recently he worked at Gamehouse on various Facebook games. His choice as lead designer for a social game leads immediately to speculation that Amazon's social game might have RPG elements.
Amazon has already been a game publisher since their October 2008 purchase of Reflexive Entertainment, a longtime developer of downloadable games (for a variety of platforms) such as Big Kahuna and Airport Mania 2. Amazon has sold those downloadable games, along with many others, through their Digital Services division. Amazon's presence in the digital distribution of games has been minor compared to Steam and other distributors. Recently Amazon started meeting or beating Steam's sale prices, in a likely bid to raise their profile among game shoppers.
Developing and publishing a social game is a much different proposition than creating a typical downloadable PC game, though. A social game is a continuous process, where the publisher is developing new content and tweaking existing content based on user data. Audience size is critical, especially when using a free-to-play model. Unless you have an audience in the millions, you can't expect to make any significant money when a typical social game has between 1% and 5% of the players paying anything at all.
Moreover, social game companies (such as Zynga) typically depend on having multiple game titles to cross-market to their customer base. When players get bored with one of their social games, they can entice them into another one. Current customers are the best prospective customers for other games you offer. Amazon should know that unless they plan to enter the social gaming market in a big way, with significant marketing and multiple games, they would be unlikely to have any great success.
Amazon's approach with its new book publishing line, Thomas & Mercer, may be indicative of how they plan to approach gaming. Amazon has picked up all the rights to 47 books from best-selling author Ed McBain, which should give them a significant presence in that market.
Combining this information with Amazon's push into creating their own Android Appstore, and the rumored new Android tablets they will be producing, I suspect Amazon may plan on rolling this new social game right into their new hardware. It's certainly the obvious way to build a big audience for a game very quickly, and having free games on your hardware would be an added selling point for the hardware. Clearly the whole idea of Amazon creating their own Android tablet is not to build the best technology, but instead to get their storefront and all the content they sell into the hands of a large audience who are already used to buying from Amazon.
If Jonathan Tweet can create a social game with strong RPG elements that could be very appealing to a lot of users, and help attract more of an audience to Amazon's entire game line. While it's not certain until we see more sign's of Amazon's investment in games, Amazon could be very serious indeed about building a competitive game publishing business. Amazon certainly has the resources and the audience to compete with any player in the game business.
Paymentwall’s in-game payment options gain a good following
Paymentwall said today that more than 1,000 developers have adopted its alternative payment methods for virtual goods in social games, including special ads known as offers.
By creating new payment options for gamers around the world, Paymentwall can help expand the overall game business.
“We are filling a void left by the other companies that have moved on to other strategies,” chief executive Honor Gunday said in an interview. “We are trying to become the global payment platform.”
As its name suggests, San Francisco-based Paymentwall presents a full page of payment options to users when they want to buy something.
As you can see from the picture, you can pay via PayPal, credit cards, mobile payments such as Paymo and MoPay, Amazon payments, or Google Checkout. Users can also make payments by choosing advertising offers, where they can get virtual goods in a game if they perform an action like signing up for Netflix.
Gunday said the company now has 75 different payment options that include various credit cards, mobile payments, prepaid cards, direct payments, offers, and local currency options as well.
Offers were a big business on Facebook until the “scamville” scandal came along in the fall of 2009, when offers got a bad name because some scam artists were using them to sign users up for monthly services that they didn’t realize they were paying for. Facebook cracked down and whittled down the number of approved offer vendors. And starting on July 1, Facebook transitioned its app developers to paying for goods with its Facebook Credits virtual currency, which can be purchased through a variety of means. But Paymentwall is focusing on non-Facebook web-based games and apps.
“All these other companies have shut their offer businesses and the developers have been left with nothing,” Gunday said. “Our monetization has gone up as a result.”
Gunday said it is good to have a lot of payment options because many web sites get international traffic. Few payment options work everywhere. PayPal, for instance, has its biggest base of users in the U.S.
Most recently, Paymentwall has added payment partnerships in China, Brazil and Russia. Facebook is not dominant in those territories. Paymentwall will open new local offices in Germany and Turkey in the coming months. Paymentwall can process more than 50 currencies and can localize its wall to 20 languages. Some developers reported a ten-fold increase in monetization in territories such as Southeast Asia, Turkey and Brazil, thanks to Paymentwall, which now reaches 200 countries.
Paymentwall has 32 employees and plans to build its workforce to as many as 50. The company was founded in 2010 and competes with rivals such as PlaySpan (bought by Visa) in payments and TrialPay and Sponsorpay in offers.
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