Zynga Receives Ad Revenue From Facebook

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Zynga has revealed that as part of their agreement to use Facebook credits they receive advertising revenue from Facebook. A recent S-1 filing indicates that the the publisher made $22.8 million in advertising revenue, a small part of its over $575 million in total revenue.

Each month during the term, for all Properties on which you implemented, during the previous month, the Facebook Ad Unit, we will pay you a percentage of net revenue ( Ad Share ) arising from such properties for the previous month, says the filing reads. You acknowledge and agree that Facebook Credits will be the sole and exclusive payment method that is used, accepted or otherwise made available on or in connection with all covered Zynga Services during the term.

Source: VentureBeat

Tiger Woods Lessened Sponsorships Hurting His Bottom Line

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One of Tiger Woods most recent endorsements was for a back rub named Vantelin for Kowa in Japan. This is notable for a couple of reasons one, it’s a reflection of his aging as an athlete that he’d be hawking a back rub, for another, this is his first Japanese ad since 1997 back before he was a superstar of golf and could be a sign of minor financial desperation on his part.

Woods is believed to have paid his ex-wife $100 million in a settlement, though the scandal leading to the divorce may have forever damaged his image as a spokesperson. Talent agency IMG recently lost the Woods account, though it’s apparently no longer that big a deal since commissions for this year have fallen to just $1.5 million.

Gillette, Accenture, Tag Heuer, and Gatorade have all dropped woods, leaving Nike and Electronic Arts as major sponsors. While Tiger Woods PGA Tour ’12 set a record in sales for the first week, his Nike promotion money was reportedly cut from $20 million to $10 million as a response to his indiscretions.

“That’s not surprising, said Bob Dorfman of Baker Street Advertising about the Nike pay cut. They’re not going to release him entirely, because that’s not the way they are, but [a pay reduction] would not surprise me at all.”

While recent reports have placed Tiger’s 2011 endorsement haul at somewhere between $60 and $75 million, this new estimate put the total closer to $20 million. This is added to the fact that Woods PGA attendance has been cut back due to injury, that he simply hasn’t won a golf tournament (and thus the biggest winnings) since before the accident that put his professional and personal life into turmoil and tens of millions of dollars in mortgage payments.

Mark Steinberg, the agent for Woods, denies any financial problems for his client. “Tiger Woods is financially sound and strong, contrary to wide-ranging rumors and inaccurate figures in the media. Stating anything else is incorrect and factually baseless.”

“Tiger remains one of the most popular and visible athletes in the world, demonstrated by television ratings, tournament attendance and various empirical polls,” added Steinberg. “His endorsement future is strong and any additional partnerships will be announced at the appropriate time.”

Source: features.blogs.fortune.cnn.com

Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary Pre-Order Bonuses

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Microsoft will offer some special pre-order bonuses for Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary. The remake of the first Halo game will release November 15, 2011.

The first digital bonus is the Master Chief Avatar Armour, allowing players to dress up their Xbox Live Avatar up with Master Chief’s Mjolnir Powered Assault Armor. The other bonus is the “Grunt Funeral” Skull, which explodes every grunt’s methane tank upon death, both dangerous for the player and for enemies!

Afterfall: Insanity Turns The Lights Off

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Europeans can’t seem to get enough of the post-nuclear apocalyptic setting between titles like Metro 2033 and S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl. Afterfall: Insanity continues that proud tradition with a dark and foreboding world.

Starhawk: Meet Lightbox

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In this day and age, it’s no longer reasonable to expect developers to sit behind a cubicle and not have a face in AAA products, and that’s reflected in this Starhawk trailer. Find out more about the story and the team behind the game.

Play Captain America: Sentinel Of Liberty Across All IOS Platforms

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Available now on iTunes, Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty is available for download for iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, 3rd Gen iPod touch 32gb and up, and iPad devices running iOS 4.0 or higher. Play as Captain America and stop the Red Skull from tipping the balance of power! As WW2 rages, Red Skull is leading HYDRA as they build super weapons that will turn the tide of the war. To make matters worse, Falsworth, Dum Dum Dugan and Bucky have been captured. Go behind enemy lines to rescue them and put an end to the sinister plot. Use your unbreakable shield to battle, block, and maneuver your way on what seems like a suicide mission. Use combat moves to take down Hydra soldiers and traverse difficult terrain, perform takedowns in mid-air or on the ground, and launch your shield for long-range attacks. Precise touch controls combine to give Sentinel of Liberty fluid cinematic action. Execute wall runs, slide under traps, and unleash devastating combo attacks with dynamic intensity you can feel. 24 levels, each with multiple pathways and hidden areas, unfold over three massive episodes. Impressive unlockables, high score leaderboards, and tons of extra features add to the massive gameplay experience. The action of Captain America comes to life with an original story and script written by Marvel writer Christos Gage.

Activision Protests ModernWarfare3.com

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It was recently revealed that the ModernWarfare3.com fan site had started redirecting to the official Battlefield 3 site by Electronic Arts. To Activision, that was apparently the final straw and they filed a complaint with the National Arbitration Forum arguing that the current owner of the site has no right to the domain name.

It appears that the Respondent supports the game Battlefield from the game developer Electronic Arts (EA ), stated Activision. EA is one of Complainant’s principal competitors in the video game industry, and Battlefield game competes in the marketplace with Complainant’s MODERN WARFARE games and its other military-themed shooter games in the CALL OF DUTY series.

Source: fusible.com

Women’s World Cup Loss Might Cost U.S. Players Sponsorships

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The U.S. team left it all out on the field during the Women’s World Cup 2011 final, but were ultimately defeated by a plucky Japanese team during a penalty kick shootout. The team’s inability to close the game twice with the lead during crucial moments cost them the game, and for star players like Abby Wambach and Hope Solo, millions of potential endorsements.

“Yeah, the defeat cost the U.S. women some heavy endorsement dollars, but I don’t think it’s a total loss,” said Bob Dorfman, exec VP-executive creative director at Baker Street Partners. “The final was an epic match, it likely drew a huge audience, and it made household names of Wambach, Solo and [Alex] Morgan.”

The last time the U.S. women won the World Cup in 1999, word of mouth helped sell-out the events the team played at. Now, however, social media played a big part in hyping up the U.S. run, with the final setting a record with 7,196 tweets per second during the event. “With Twitter and Facebook, it’s exponentially shared,” said Julie Foudy, players on the 1999 team and current analyst for ESPN. “Word-of-mouth has created such an amazing buzz.”

While 2011 may have been a letdown for the U.S. women, the silver lining is that the Olympics are next year. “If a stunning loss can still be a win, this was it,” he said. “With the 2012 Olympics just around the corner, women’s soccer will stay relevant, and the U.S. team’s quest for gold will take on added drama and relevance. Expect Wambach, Solo and Morgan to be highlighted heavily by Olympic sponsors and other advertisers leading up to the Games.”

Source: AdAge.com