Journey Sets PSN Sales Records

BY

Journey has become the fastest selling PSN title ever released. Creator Jenova Chen said the mark was reached in both the SCEA and SCEE regions and that they’ve received more fan mail in two weeks than they did in three years with Flower.

However, this news is mixed with the bittersweet reality of key departures at developer Thatgamecompany. Co-founder Kellee Santiago has left, as has producer Robin Hunicke (now at Tiny Speck) along with two other senior producers who are forming a small indie-focused studio called The Wilderness.

Warhammer 40K: Dark Millennium No Longer An MMO

BY

THQ announced that Warhammer 40,000: Dark Millennium is shifting from an MMO to a single-player game with online multiplayer features. At the same time, the company is also letting go 118 employees that were redundant with this refocusing of the game.

“As previously announced, we have been actively looking for a business partner for the game as an MMO. However, based on changing market dynamics and the additional investment required to complete the game as an MMO, we believe the right direction for us is to shift the title from an MMO to a premium experience with single and multiplayer gameplay, robust digital content and community features,” said Brian Farrell, President and CEO of THQ Inc. “Because we believe strongly in the high-quality and vast creative work that is in production, this is the right decision for both our portfolio and for gamers devoted to this powerful property.”

“We are genuinely excited about the new direction that THQ is taking with Warhammer 40,000: Dark Millennium, and we are sure that this will be a great addition to the ever growing stable of authentic and engaging Warhammer 40,000 video games,” said Jon Gillard, Head of Licensing for Games Workshop.

Make Your Indecision Wisely

BY

Let Comedy Central’s Indecision keeps you and your iPad or iPhone company through the highs and lows of the 2012 election. There’s no video content available in the app, but there are plenty of other things you’ll like. The app includes an interactive Peanut Gallery, featuring real-time Reactions that let you react to news shows, debates and other events while following live commentary from Indecision bloggers and special guests.

Zumba Fitness Rush Flash Mob

BY

Zumba Fitness Rush is the latest entry in the hit fitness series and the launch was celebrated with a flash mob! 2,000 Zumba Enthusiasts descended upon downtown L.A., led by Beto & Gina, to perform in time with a video on a giant screen.

#markofthespiderman

BY

The Amazing Spider-Man ARG is in full swing. Here is a quick overview of all of the touchpoints. The mystery began with a backpack delivered to journalists. Inside, a variety of items, taken together, clearly painted a portrait of the bag’s owner: Peter Parker, the hero they call Spider-Man. Items included keys, tennis shoes, sunglasses, safety goggles, a chemistry textbook, pencils and a pencil sharpener, a protractor, screws, rubber bands, film rolls, contact sheets, urban-setting photographs, Daily Bugle newspaper article clippings, and a sketchbook filled with costume ideas and various equations by Parker attempting to figure out viable angles and trajectories for web swinging with maximum velocity. This delivery followed the trailer debut for The Amazing Spider-Man which contained a hidden message near its end. The words “The Mark of the Spider-Man” were hidden in metal webbing — a phrase that led to a new website: markofthespider-man.com. The site, which bears a Spider-Man insignia, contains six TV-like screens, all of which have static. There is a countdown clock under each screen as well, ending at different times today — with these city locations: Atlanta, Denver, Los Angeles, New York, Phoenix, and Seattle. “So, you’ve found us. If you support us, if you support Spider-Man, now is your time. Follow the Twitter accounts of our operatives in each of these cities. They’ll tell you where to go to uncover the next step. For this pursuit we ask that you please be over the age of 18. Be safe, and good luck. We’re counting on you.”

Smartphones Now 50 Percent Of The Market: Nielsen

BY

Nielsen has announced that as of February 2012, nearly 50 percent of U.S. mobile phone subscribers now have smartphones. This rate is up from 36 percent in February 2011, with over 66 percent of new cell phone buyers in the past three months choosing a smartphone over a feature phone.

Android phones have 48 percent of the smartphone market, while iPhone had around 32 percent; over the past three months 48 percent of smartphone purchasers bought an Android phone and 43 percent bought an iPhone. Blackberry’s market share has shrunk to 11.6 percent.

Facebook Open Graph Embraced By ESPN

BY

ESPN.com recently began rolling out Facebook’s Open Graph. An example of what that would do is seeing a notification when friend reacts to particular articles, like Magic Johnson leading a group to purchase the Los Angeles Dodgers.

ESPN’s director of social media content and strategy Michael Cupo wants Facebook to incorporate the “enable social sharing” button throughout the site. The first integration would be on text pages, later moving on to ESPN’s video player.

While ESPN joining is notable, many companies are reluctant to give Facebook too much data and traffic. Some forced users to download an App and with all the traffic and consumption happening on Facebook, some companies thought they were giving up too much control.

ESPN.com has taken a different route; friends can share what they’re reading, but all the reading happens on ESPN.com. “We’re taking a very measured approach to this,” said Cupo. “We feel like the experience on our site is best. We think we’ll get a bump in traffic. But the most interesting thing for us is understanding the user experience and the features this enables.”

The Huffington Post, BuzzFeed and MSNBC have signed onto Open Graph, insisting that consumption of shared articles occur on each publisher’s site, not on Facebook.

ESPN.com generates roughly 600 pieces of content a day and Cupo noted the ability among Facebook users to subscribe to their favorite ESPN reporters and commentators and see what they are reading. “We think there is going to be a true serendipity that comes from that,” said Cupo. “If you’re a fan who really enjoys Jalen Rose’s NBA commentary, or loves reading [The Sports Guy] Bill Simmons, wouldn’t you love to know what they are reading ”

ESPN might eventually target Facebook users and could integrate Facebook’s Open Graph with its “Watch ESPN” tablet app. “It would not be crazy to see things going that way down the road,” said Cupo.

Source: AdWeek

Mobile Gaming Market Estimated At $7.5 Billion By 2015

BY

According to SuperData, the mobile gaming market will expand from $2.7 billion today to $7.5 billion in 2015. Asia in particular is expected to be over 40 percent of the market, or $3.2 billion by 2015.

Furthermore, the study said that the average gamer age in the U.S. is 24-34, for both males and females and that most users spend between $8 and $15 per month. Freemium games account for 55 percent of all mobile game revenues, while advertising is only 6 percent, and between 3.5 percent and 10 percent of freemium players convert to paying users.