Facebook Simplifies Ad Buys

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Anyone who has had the pleasure of purchasing an ad on Facebook knows the process kind of felt like operating in the dark. That changed for the better on Tuesday when Facebook made good on a promise made last June to simplify and streamline media buys on the social net. The changes bring campaign objectives comes to the fore, with added guidance from Facebook on how to best reach attain those objectives.

The Ads Manager and Power Editor utilities have a newly streamlined interface that makes the procedure easy. You no longer have to choose your ad options first and then realign your campaign’s optimization methods, a system that was overly complicated and felt clunky. The guesswork is gone.

In addition, the new system will allow you to operate up to 5 different ads at the same time, using multiple images. Much like Facebook’s Insights, you’ll also be able to see which of those images are performing better than others. Marketers will also be able to tailor the message of their ad to where the ad appears, whether it is on mobile Newsfeed, desktop Newsfeed or the ad column.

Facebook released a blog detailing their improvements to the system, including an easier way to track the impact of your ads by seeing their conversion value.

 

Source: TechCrunch

Return To Rapture

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2K and Irrational Games had promised to take BioShock fans back to Rapture with downloadable content for BioShock Infinite. They’re now teasing that new chapter, BioShock Infinite: Burial at Sea, with a glimpse of the storyline. Check out the first five minutes of this very film noir set up of a new adventure for Booker and Elizabeth, which is a prequel to the first BioShock.

 

‘Carrie’ Stunt Stuns A Coffee Shop

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How would you react to a telekinetic freak out Some unwitting patrons at a local coffee shop in New York got to find out with this viral stunt for the upcoming remake of Carrie.

The creators of the stunt bill the stunt as real, though some have pointed out that certain patrons look a bit like planted actors – the street worker in a spotless uniform carrying a giant pole into a coffees shop, for instance.  Maybe they had undercover security in case someone went vigilante on the Carrie actress.

 

‘GTA V’ Races Into Record Books

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The sales numbers for Rockstar Games’ Grand Theft Auto V continue to pour in – and it hasn’t even been a full month since the game’s debut.

A press release from the Guinness World Records office stated that the game has managed to sell 11.21 million copies in its first day alone, with $815.7 million in revenue. This is slightly higher than the rounded $800 million figure Take Two Interactive previously reported on the title.

Said Guinness, “Our records team worked directly with Rockstar Games on obtaining the figures.”

Take Two, in response, stated, “The numbers in their announcement didn’t come from our company. We can’t verify its accuracy and we haven’t commented on GTA V’s performance beyond the two releases that we issued.”

Meanwhile, confirmation did come in for the game’s performance in Europe. Sony stated in its monthly numbers through its PlayStation Network that Grand Theft Auto V managed to top both the North American and European markets in digital sales. In fact, the game did so well in both those markets, it topped the previous record holder – Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us, which released earlier this year.

It looks like the game will have no problem setting huge sales over the next few months, especially with Grand Theft Auto Online hitting full stride and incoming downloadable content.

Source: GamesIndustry International

Amazon Incentivizes App Developers

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Amazon, in an effort to increase its Appstore offerings, has announced a new plan that will entice developers to make programs and games specifically built for its marketplace, as well as ones that work with its FireOS operating system and, in turn, Kindle Fire devices.

Called the Appstore Developer Select {link no longer active}, the program provides a number of marketing and promotional tools and benefits for would-be developers, as well as discounts on various web services offered through Amazon. In addition, those who spend $2,000 or more on said services will receive a “cash back” incentive, with a 25 percent kick-back upon reaching that goal.

Any apps in this program will also be added to a new “Appstore Coins Rewards” program, where select programs will be able to return Amazon Coins to consumers who buy make purchases within them. It works as a virtual currency for consumers to make purchases with, in lieu of using a credit card.

In addition, “premium placement” will be a huge benefit in Developer Select, for both the general Appstore and Kindle devices. Ads could also be placed through Kindle lock screens, depending on the nature of it.

Source: TechCrunch

A Bleeping Bar Of Gold

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Gold seems to be in for certain people, especially those who buy imitation gold colors on their latest models of the iPhone 5s and the Samsung Galaxy S4. However, only with the HTC One will you be able to get the real thing – yep, a phone made from actual gold.

The Gold HTC One is a limited edition model – we’re talking only five made overall – and they come with a price of 2,750 pounds, or $4,416. The specifications on the device are the same as the original HTC One, but the body is front and back plated with 18 ct gold – so it’s the real thing. Made in conjunction with Goldgenie founder Laban Roomes, it also features a MOBO 18 logo on the back.

So…who wants to buy us a gold phone?

Source: Mashable

‘Madden’ CoachGlass Detailed

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The forthcoming Xbox one edition of Madden NFL 25 will introduce players to a new kind of second-screen experience, according to EA Sports.

Titled CoachGlass, the feature will allow players to connect their tablet device to the next-gen game system and utilize “offensive tendencies, personnel groupings, major weapons and suggest defensive plays designed to counter the offense’s biggest strengths,” according to the press release.

Data will also be pulled from various online match-ups, with regular updates to provide streaming content and recommendations to fellow players.

In addition, this data can also be used to “track tendencies at various downs and distances in order to help players predict the opposition’s tendencies, and call plays to defend the part of the field their opponent is likely to attack.”

Browsing through previous plays and taking advantage of co-op options – including a defensive coordinator position for the second player – will also be available.

Madden NFL 25 ships on November 19 for Xbox One, three days before the system’s launch. The CoachGlass service should be available once the system arrives.

Source: VG247

Mad Catz M.O.J.O. Console Slated

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Originally unveiled at E3 this year, Mad Catz’ Android-powered M.O.J.O. console is about to make waves in the holiday market.

The company announced today that the game, a “keystone product” for the team, will release on December 10 “in limited quantities,” for the price of $249.99. The company is currently accepting pre-orders on its website.

“The M.O.J.O. Micro-Console for Android has attracted strong interest due to its high-performance hardware, open software platform and the ecosystem of accessories,” said Darren Richardson, the President and Chief Executive Officer of Mad Catz Interactive, Inc. “M.O.J.O. is the center piece of our GameSmart mobile initiative and brings core gaming experiences to the mobile platform.”

The specifications for M.O.J.O. are as follows:

an NVIDIA Tegra 4 T40S 1.8GHz Processor, 2GB RAM

16GB internal storage

HDMI out capabilities with full 1080p resolution

Bluetooth

microSD Flash Slot with Support for SDXC Cards up to 128GB

Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n

Android 4.2.2 operating system

It also comes with a controller, specifically built for gaming purposes.

Source: GamesIndustry International

Better Boost Your PC For Next ‘Call Of Duty’

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Nvidia has released the necessary requirements to get a PC to run Activision’s  forthcoming first-person shooter Call of Duty: Ghosts – and it’s a whopper.

According to Nvidia’s specs, you’ll need the following to get the game up and running:

OS: Windows 7 64-Bit / Windows 8 64-Bit
CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E8200 2.66 GHZ / AMD Phenom X3 8750 2.4 GHZ or better
RAM: 6GB RAM
HDD: 50GB Hard Drive space
Video: Nvidia GeForce GTX 550 Ti / ATI Radeon HD 5870 or better
Sound: DirectX Compatible Sound Card
DirectX 11
Internet: Broadband connection and service required for Multiplayer Connectivity. Internet connection required for activation.

Activision hasn’t commented on why the game requires 50 GB of hard drive space, but that’s enormous; a complete World of Warcraft installation (including all expansions) is around 35 GB, by way of comparison. Meanwhile, Nvidia has recommended a Nvidia GeForce GTX 780 as well. No word yet if the console versions of the game will require any sort of minimum install as well.

Call of Duty: Ghosts releases on November 5 for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii U and PC, and later in the month for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

Source: Gamespot