“The iPad is not an iPhone,” said Graeme Devine during a conference session at this week’s Game Developers Conference (GDC) in San Francisco. It may seem obvious to some, but Devine thinks it’s important to underscore for game developers who … Continued
Games
∞ Infinity Blade creator talks iOS game development
Donald Mustard, creative director at Chair Entertainment, gave developers at this week’s Game Developer Conference some insight on how his company made a hit game unlike any other for iOS in about five months. Chair’s game, Infinity Blade, is the … Continued
∞ Nintendo CEO attacks Apple, Google smartphone games
Nintendo is one of the most recognizable gaming companies in the world, but as the smartphone industry matures, pressure on the traditional companies has increased dramatically.
∞ Angry Birds CEO: "We really have Apple to thank"
Of the thousands of games available for download from the App Store, none has had the sustained popularity of Rovio’s Angry Birds, a 99 cent physics-based puzzler in which you use a slingshot to launch birds of various shapes and … Continued
∞ Gameloft to develop Unreal Engine 3 games for iOS
Gameloft announced Monday plans to develop four new games using Epic Games’ Unreal Engine 3. The games will be released in 2011 and 2012, coming to multiple platforms including iOS.
∞ Epic Games raises royalty threshold on UDK games
Epic Games made headlines in 2010 when it announced its Unreal Development Kit (UDK) for iOS – a major advance to bring spectacular-looking games to the iPhone and iPad. Now Epic is making things a bit easier for developers that … Continued
∞ Opinion: Where parenting fails, the government will surely succeed
In the latest story illustrating the government’s insistence at sticking its nose where it doesn’t belong, Industrygamers reports that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is “investgating” Apple’s iOS in-app purchases to see if they pass muster with the Feds.
∞ Valve to "simplify" Source SDK
The Source Software Development Kit (SDK) is Valve’s technology that’s been used to bring unforgettable games like Half-Life 2, Portal and Left 4 Dead — available for Mac, PC and other platforms, thanks to Valve’s introduction of Steam to the … Continued
∞ New video game museum project seeks Kickstarter funds
The Museum of Art and Digital Entertainment (The MADE) has kicked off a fundraising campaign through Kickstarter.com. We at The Loop are bringing it to readers’ attention because The Loop’s executive editor, Peter Cohen, is on The MADE’s advisory board … Continued
∞ Valve more profitable per employee than Apple, says Newell
Valve founder Gabe Newell says his company is more profitable per employee than either Apple or Google, according to a recent profile in Forbes. An analyst pegs Valve’s 2010 revenue in the “high hundreds of millions of dollars” (a privately-held … Continued
∞ Portal 2 now available for pre-order
Valve Software on Monday announced that Portal 2, the sequel to its award-winning action game for Mac, PC and other platforms, is now available for pre-order. The game is expected to ship on April 18, 2011. Mac users can pre-order … Continued
∞ Sony Ericsson introduces first PlayStation-certified smartphone
Gamers looking for a serious smartphone may be interested in Sony Ericsson’s newly unveiled Xperia Play, a Google Android-based phone that will be hitting store shelves in the US in March, via Verizon Wireless.
∞ 'Counterfeit' Lugaru game disappears from Mac App Store
Wolfire Games is rejoicing at the discovery that the “counterfeit” version of its game Lugaru has disappeared from the shelves of the Mac App Store.
∞ LEGO Harry Potter demo available
Feral Interactive has released a playable demo version of LEGO Harry Potter, now available for download through Feral’s Web site.
∞ World of Goo sells faster on iPad than Wii, Steam – 125K copies and counting
Game developers, take note. 2D Boy has posted a detailed postmortem of its release of World of Goo on the iPad. The developers revealed some eye-opening information – the game has outsold any other platform release, including Steam and WiiWare, … Continued
∞ Dragon Age 2 to ship on hybrid DVD for Mac, PC
Bioware’s hotly anticipated fantasy role-playing game Dragon Age 2 is almost ready to ship to retailers. When it does, the game will arrive on a hybrid DVD-ROM that’s compatible with Mac and Windows out of the box. Users who don’t … Continued
∞ Blizzard Entertainment announces BlizzCon 2011
Blizzard Entertainment has announced the dates and location of BlizzCon, its annual gathering of fans. BlizzCon 2011 is set to return to the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, Calif. on Oct. 21-22, 2011.
∞ Developers share hard sales numbers on Mac App Store games
Developers using the Unity engine have been sharing sales numbers since the store went online, and the results are illuminating, although they paint a very different picture of the stratospheric numbers of apps downloaded on the iOS App Store during its … Continued
∞ EVE Online adds new character creator
CCP has announced the release of EVE Online: Incursion 1.1, a new version of their massively multiplayer online role playing game for Mac OS X and Windows. The update is free for all registered players, who will receive the update … Continued
∞ Buy Portal 2 for PS3, get Mac, PC versions for free
Valve is sweetening the pot for Sony PlayStation 3 gamers who are interested in their forthcoming game Portal 2. Buy the PS3 version of Portal 2, and you’ll be able to download the Mac (and PC) version for free.
∞ VP offers Majesty 2, Supreme Commander 2 game expansions
Virtual Programming has recently released expansion packs for its games Majesty 2 and Supreme Commander 2. Majesty 2: Monster Kingdoms and Supreme Commander 2: Infinite War Battle Pack are available for $14.95 and $9.95 respectively.
∞ Apple's Games page a Mac App Store casualty
On Thursday Apple launched its Mac App Store. The company simultaneously took down a page from its Web site that’s been a destination to Mac gamers for more than a decade: its Games page.
∞ Minotaur Rescue released for iOS; Jeff Minter's debut iOS game
Retro gamers, rejoice: Legendary game designer Jeff Minter’s debut game for iOS, Minotaur Rescue, is ready for download. It’ll set you back a buck.
∞ LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4 coming for Mac
Feral Interactive announced Tuesday plans to release LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4 for the Mac later this week. The game will ship on Thursday, January 6 and will cost $39.95.
∞ Darkest of Days FPS takes gamers on time travel trip
Virtual Programming’s new Darkest of Days is a first person shooter game with a twist. Players are plucked from General Custer’s army during the Battle of Little Big Horn and travel through history to relive famous events while protecting those … Continued
∞ Infinity Blade, UDK pave way for bigger and better iOS games
Chair Entertainment’s hit game Infinity Blade stands apart from other offerings on the App Store: it’s the first iOS game built using Epic Games’ Unreal Development Kit (UDK) for iOS. The UDK has been used extensively in PC and console … Continued
∞ Nintendo warns of 3DS risks
Nintendo is warning its customers that its new 3D portable gaming system should not be used by kids under six years old. The company also warned older users to take a break after playing the gaming system in 3D mode … Continued
∞ Bananas game for iPhone is addictive, great for kids
I tried out a new game yesterday called Bananas. While it’s made for kids, I really liked the game and had a blast playing it.
∞ Doctor Who game comes to iTunes Store
Doctor Who, the legendary sci-fi TV series from Britain, has spawned a video game for the iPhone and iPad that’s now available in the iTunes Store. Doctor Who: The Mazes of Time is available in iPhone/iPod touch and iPad versions … Continued
∞ Real Racing 2 hits the App Store
Firemint has announced the release of Real Racing 2 for iPhone and iPod touch. The game costs $9.99.