We've known Magic Cube for years as makers of simple but fun mobile games like the Infect Them All series, Call of Snakes [$0.99] and its various spinoffs, and plenty more. This week however they've launched their first game as a publisher, called Karma Ball Z [$0.99]. The game i … | Continue reading
Call of Duty and Candy Crush Saga are now married. Activision Blizzard today completed its $5.9 billion acquisition of King Digital Network, the maker of Candy Crush Saga. The combined company will have more than 500 million users, as it extends its grasp from console and PC onli … | Continue reading
Interabang Entertainment is launching a crowdfunding campaign on the Fig game-financing platform for a video game based on the Jay and Silent Bob cartoon series. The Fig Publishing platform lets fans invest their own money into a crowdfunding campaign thanks to changes in securit … | Continue reading
I think we'll be playing stealth games forever. While combat is what most people crave, there's a definite appeal to sneaking around and avoiding conflict that so many people resonate with. That's where Rogue Agent [$2.99] comes in, providing tons of subversion in the shadows whi … | Continue reading
Hong Kong game publisher Fifth Journey has won backing from film studios Universal Pictures, Lionsgate, and MGM Studios to create movie-based mobile games for Asian markets such as China. The business makes sense because China is already the world’s fastest-growing film market, w … | Continue reading
Have you ever danced with the Darth Vader in a pale moon light? OK. That’s a Batman quote, but it’s all I can think after seeing the screenshots for the new level in Electronic Arts’ Star Wars game. The publisher is rolling out an update for Star Wars: Battlefront that will intro … | Continue reading
Microsoft’s HoloLens augmented reality device seems too futuristic to exist, but everything we’ve seen makes it look like it works as advertised. A new video meant for developers (via WinBeta) is giving us our first decent look at the HoloLens user interface in action. The tutori … | Continue reading
If you don’t know which new Samsung Galaxy phone to get for mobile virtual reality, one of the authorities on the subject has weighed in to make your decision easier. For the best experience with the Gear VR head-mounted display peripheral, you should get the standard Galaxy S7 o … | Continue reading
Microsoft today announced a few changes to the Windows Store. Microsoft says it has improved search rankings for apps and games in the store, and more reviews should be showing up there soon. Reviews from people participating in the Slow ring of the Windows Insider Program, which … | Continue reading
Some games we play for the excitement, some we play for scares, and some we play for the challenge. And then there are games like Tsuro [$4.99], the digital port of the 2004 board game, that are all about introspection, the kind of game you play while lying on a couch with a glas … | Continue reading
EXCLUSIVE: App monetization and distribution platform Appnext grew its revenues by 345 percent in 2015. The London-based company now serves 12 billion app recommendations to 380 million unique users in 180 countries. Sure, it grew off a small base in 2014. But the growth rate is … | Continue reading
Time to consult Tim Gunn because Fallout 4 is giving you more decorating options. Wait, Tim Gunn is the fashion guy, not the interior-design guy. Oh, wait! I was thinking of Tim Allen’s character from Home Improvement. I always mix those guys up. Bethesda is preparing an update f … | Continue reading
Kabam is laying 8 percent of its mobile game company workforce today as part of a strategic move to focus on a more narrow type of game that it knows well. It’s not clear exactly how many jobs are affected, as Kabam isn’t disclosing those details. Kevin Chou, the chief executive … | Continue reading
Microsoft’s online gaming infrastructure is having a rough February. Xbox Live is down for some gamers today, according to complaints on social media. People are complaining that they cannot boot up their digital games. This means that if you own a download-only release like Tria … | Continue reading
The daily fantasy sports market rose dramatically in the past few years with the rise of DraftKings and FanDuel. But in 2015, regulators closed in, with some declaring the betting on sports outcomes amounted to illegal gambling, rather than legal skill-based wagering as the compa … | Continue reading
Nothing like starting off the week with a surprise, and I'd have to say that Dungeon Raid [$0.99 / Free] developer Fireflame Games releasing a brand new puzzle RPG is about as big of a surprise that there is. For a little backstory, Dungeon Raid was released more than 5 years ago … | Continue reading
Halo’s greatest players are fighting for more than just bragging rights. Microsoft announced today that 16 teams from across the globe have earned a spot in the Halo World Championship, which features players competing in Halo 5: Guardians. The event has a prize pool of $2.5 mill … | Continue reading
When Marvel creator Stan Lee and Apple cofounder Steve Wozniak put on an event together, it’s bound to have a lot of star power. That’s what the organizers of Silicon Valley Comic Con 2016 are promising for their debut convention. The inaugural event runs March 18 to March 20 at … | Continue reading
Twitch shouldn’t be, well, twitching just yet, but another site wants a piece of that streaming pie. DingIt, a global streaming site specializing in esports, noted today that it has an average of 20 million monthly viewers a year after its launch. Of course, it has a ways to go i … | Continue reading
BARCELONA, Spain — Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg delivered a much-needed shot of adrenaline to Samsung’s Unpacked press conference by making an unannounced appearance on stage to talk virtual reality and to praise his South Korean partner. “VR is the next platform, where anyone ca … | Continue reading
Facebook today announced a few updates for its virtual reality (VR) efforts. The company said it has established a formal Social VR team that will build on the achievements of Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp. Of course, the new team will collaborate with the Facebook … | Continue reading
BARCELONA, Spain — In a few minutes, Samsung will be huffing and puffing about its new Galaxy smartphones at its annual Unpacked press conference on the eve of Mobile World Congress 2016. But upon entering this city’s convention center (which apparently is largely unknown to most … | Continue reading
Bethesda Game Studios shipped more than 12 million copies of the post-apocalypse video game Fallout 4 during the holiday season — a stellar achievement that . But Fallout Shelter, the mobile game released last June during a fan event at the Electronic Entertainment Expo, managed … | Continue reading
EXCLUSIVE: HTC and Valve are planning to disclose on Monday that the consumer edition of the HTC Vive virtual reality headset will be available for preorder on Feb. 29, GamesBeat has learned. The system will be available in early April. The two companies — which will make the ann … | Continue reading
TCL-owned Alcatel introduced the fourth-generation of its Android-powered Idol lineup today at Mobile World Congress 2016 in Barcelona, Spain. Consisting of the 5.2-inch Idol 4 and 5.5-inch Idol 4S, this generation will be the first to sport the company’s new simplified branding, … | Continue reading
OPINION: I’ve returned from another pilgrimage to the DICE Summit, the elite game industry event in Las Vegas. I’ve never missed one of these gatherings in 16 years, even during times when I paid for the trip out of my own pocket. I go because I love writing about the video game … | Continue reading
GUEST: 2015 marked the first time in history that more than half of the U.S. population were mobile phone gamers. Even as game investments and acquisitions fell sharply, 2015 was a great year for the mobile game market, with revenues up nearly 20 percent. And yet despite this gro … | Continue reading
Sid Meier is the legendary designer behind many different computer games in a wide variety of genres, and he’s perhaps the only video game designer who can sell more copies by putting his name into the title of the game. Of all of his games, none has been as memorable and success … | Continue reading