Joystiq

Black Ops 2 adds customization 'micro items' on Xbox this week

JC Fletcher — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 14:45:00 EST

Tomorrow, Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 will be updated on Xbox 360 with the free Nuketown 2025 map, the option to download the Nuketown Zombies map, and ... some "Micro Items."

You'll now be able to pay 160 more Microsoft points ($2) to get ten more Create-a-Class slots for emblems, films, and screenshots. "Flags of the World Calling Card Packs" are available for 80 points ($1) per regional pack.

Finally, "Personalization Packs" let you customize your weapon, Calling Card, and reticle for 160 points ($2), with One of Swords showing the "Bacon personalization pack" above as a very weird example. It's like a free-to-play model, except you also pay a bunch for the game! At least this stuff is optional, and isn't consumable.

"And yes," One of Swords writer Dan Amrich notes, "these will be coming to other platforms as well; when I know a date, I'll post about it."

Black Ops 2 adds customization 'micro items' on Xbox this week originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 12 Mar 2013 14:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jorgensen: All EA mobile games will use microtransactions, other platforms may not

Jessica Conditt — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 22:00:00 EST

All future EA games will contain the ability to handle microtransactions, but that doesn't mean every EA game will use them, CFO Blake Jorgensen said at the Wedbush Technology Conference in New York City, as picked up by Polygon. During an EA investor call last week, Jorgensen said, "We're building into all of our games the ability to pay for things along the way," and "consumers are enjoying and embracing that way of the business."

Today Jorgensen clarified that this model applies to mobile games only, saying, "I made a statement in the conference along the lines of, 'We'll have micro-transactions in our games,' and the community read that to mean all our games, and that's really not true. All of our mobile games will have microtransactions in them, because almost all of them are going to a world where they are play-for-free."

We'll store your pitchforks for you in the meantime - at a price.

Jorgensen: All EA mobile games will use microtransactions, other platforms may not originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 06 Mar 2013 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EA: Consumers are 'enjoying and embracing' the microtransaction model

Jordan Mallory — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 02:00:00 EST

Electronic Arts CFO Blake Jorgensen is pretty sold on the idea of microtransactions as a business model. In fact, such pint-sized payout opportunities will likely be even more abundant in the future, from the sound of things:

"The digital business is broken up into a couple of pieces, one is pure digital downloads of full games," Jorgensen said during an investor conference call last Tuesday. "The next, and much bigger piece is microtransactions within games. So, to the extent that as [EA CTO Rajat Taneja] said, we're building into all of our games the ability to pay for things along the way, either to get to a higher level, to buy a new character, to buy a truck, a gun; whatever it might be. And consumers are enjoying and embracing that way of the business."

Jorgensen went on to say that EA's extensive technical infrastructure has been instrumental in its success with microtransactions, and that many related business operations are now being handled in-house, rather than being outsourced, as had previously been the case.

EA: Consumers are 'enjoying and embracing' the microtransaction model originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 01 Mar 2013 02:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dead Space 3 glitch allows infinite resource farming

Jessica Conditt — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 22:30:00 EST

Dead Space 3's inclusion of campaign microtransactions incited a negative gut reaction from some potential players, and if we can count on one thing in life, it's people finding ways around things that make them uncomfortable. A glitch in Dead Space 3 allows players to infinitely farm random items from one room near the end of chapter eight, as discovered and recorded by Game Front.

Dead Space 3 allows players to purchase materials for crafting weapons, in both single-player and co-op modes, alongside the standard scavenging and lucky find methods. For the record completed the game without using a single microtransaction, and we still found the experience enjoyable (in a terrifying kind of way).

Dead Space 3 glitch allows infinite resource farming originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 06 Feb 2013 22:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Amazon adds in-app microtransactions for PC, Mac and browser game devs

David Hinkle — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 22:00:00 EST

Up until now, developers of Windows PC, Mac and browser-based games offered through Amazon haven't been able to present microtransactions to consumers. Total bummer, right? Beginning today, however, developers can offer a multitude of extra power-ups or goofy hats in game for nominal fees, allowing players to enhance their experience while slowly bleeding out their wallets.

With the new service available now, developers can begin selling content at any time. In-app purchases will be billed through a player's selected Amazon, making the process of paying for those piecemeal items easier. With in-game content and toilet paper available for purchase from Amazon, the argument for the existence of any other store is becoming less compelling.

Continue reading Amazon adds in-app microtransactions for PC, Mac and browser game devs

Amazon adds in-app microtransactions for PC, Mac and browser game devs originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 22 Jan 2013 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Puzzle & Dragons now available on Android

Jordan Mallory — Sat, 15 Dec 2012 16:30:00 EST

You guys are never going to guess what Puzzle & Dragons is about. Not in a million years. Want a hint? Well it's got something to do with ... Oh, no that's totally right, yeah. Puzzles and dragons. Good guess.

Originally released for iOS back in November, Puzzle & Dragon is now available on the Google Play store for Android devices in South Korea and North America. The free-to-play puzzle/RPG is an equal parts Bejeweled, Puzzle Fighter and Pokemon cocktail, with players capturing (and evolving) teams of monsters in order to do battle against other monsters. Damage is done by successfully matching groups of colored gems, as seen in the trailer above.

Puzzle & Dragon's microtransactional hook comes in the form of Magic Stones, which, once purchased, can be used to restore health, obtain rare monsters and restart failed dungeons, among other uses.

Gallery: Puzzle & Dragons (12/15/12)

Continue reading Puzzle & Dragons now available on Android

Puzzle & Dragons now available on Android originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 15 Dec 2012 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Firefall beta opens up its item store, sells Founder's Packages (on sale now)

Mike Schramm — Sat, 01 Sep 2012 20:43:00 EST

Red 5 Studios is once again showing off its open world, free-to-play MMO Firefall (currently still in closed beta) at PAX, and the newest bit of content included is a set of in-game stores, allowing players to purchase items and features via microtransaction. Firefall lead designer David Williams promises the developer won't "sell power items or content areas to players." Instead, Firefall's item stores are all about aesthetic and convenience items, things that players can use to customize their character's look, or have some fun in the game world.

In addition to the company's just-announced 'Founders' content bundles (detailed above, and currently on sale during PAX), Williams showed us some special cosmetic items available for purchase, like shaggy dreadlocks or a flashy helmet, as well as items from an in-game store called Luau Larry's. Larry will happily sell you some fun items, like a little voodoo doctor pet, or a tiki torch that plays in-game music and causes everyone around it to dance when placed in the world.

Becoming a founder also grants priority access to Firefall's current beta build - along with XP boosts, real-world items, in-game currency and more based on purchased tier. And the items in the founders' packages are set to be available on September 24, so we may hear about a bigger update coming then. Meanwhile, the current price on all three packages ($15, $37, and $75, down from $20, $50, and $100) lasts through PAX weekend.

Firefall beta opens up its item store, sells Founder's Packages (on sale now) originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 01 Sep 2012 20:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Command & Conquer: Tiberium Alliances now playable in your browser

Mike Schramm — Fri, 20 Jul 2012 03:00:00 EST

EA's latest free-to-play title, Command & Conquer: Tiberium Alliances, has gone live in a browser near you. Aeria Games has turned the popular RTS franchise into a browser-based game, which means you can grow your base, play PvP and PvE scenarios, and even build social alliances and partnerships with other players, playing as the Global Defense Initiative or the Nod factions in any browser you happen to have handy.

This is just the latest online, free-to-play title that Aeria Games is launching for EA, after the success of Battlefield Heroes and Need for Speed World. Like those other games, it's supported with microtransactions and freemium items, and is probably destined to be profitable.

Command & Conquer: Tiberium Alliances now playable in your browser originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 20 Jul 2012 03:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Torchlight art found in iOS MMO; MMO dev denies theft against strong evidence

Ben Gilbert — Tue, 17 Jul 2012 20:30:00 EST

Art assets from Runic Games' Torchlight franchise bear more than a passing resemblance to those used in iOS MMO Armed Heroes Online, from Chinese developer Entertainment Game Labs ("EGLS"). And Runic Games head Travis Baldree is calling foul, taking to Twitter this week to say, "So, wow - this game is releasing on the app store. They wholesale stole most of the assets from Torchlight," and linking to the EGLS game website.

Baldree made the image seen above as well, comparing the two games' art assets from source material he found in YouTube clips of Armed Heroes Online with those of his company's game. Beyond talking, Baldree tells us that Runic "have contacted Apple with a takedown request but haven't heard back yet." The company's goal at the moment is "simply to get the game removed from the App Store until it no longer infringes upon our copyright." It's unclear if representatives from Runic's parent company, Chinese MMO company Perfect World, have been in contact with EGLS separately.

Baldree says Runic "have been unable to directly contact the company," but a rep from EGLS posted on Touch Arcade's forums with a lengthy public statement today. "We can hardly agree with Mr. Travis Baldree who judged that EGLS 'wholesale stole most of the assets from Torchlight!' only based on the similarity between several small monsters. The judgment is simply untenable," the post reads.

It goes on to say that some EGLS employees "are both crazy game fans and ecstatic movie lovers," alleging that the comparisons drawn are nothing more than an accident at best. Bizarrely, the statement then compares Torchlight to WildTangent's PC RPG Fate, as well as Diablo 2 - both games that Runic employees were instrumental in developing.

Armed Heroes Online remains available via iTunes for now, but we don't expect it'll be there for much longer. The game is free-to-play with in-app purchases (read: microtransactions). An EGLS rep didn't respond to request for comment as of publishing.

Torchlight art found in iOS MMO; MMO dev denies theft against strong evidence originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 17 Jul 2012 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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You Don't Know Jack and Cookie Masterson want to be your new Facebook friends

Ben Gilbert — Wed, 23 May 2012 14:30:00 EST

We don't know about you, but You Don't Know Jack's charismatic host Cookie Masterson sure seems like a swell fellow; the kind of guy who takes to Facebook only to post photos of cats doing silly things, and potentially show his friends pictures of his newly shaven dome. We say this because we now have a new way to interact with Mr. Masterson through - you guessed it - You Don't Know Jack, now on Facebook.

The game is currently in closed beta, but I signed up to be a beta tester and was already in before this post was finished. Also, yup, I did play a round right quick, and it was totally awesome. In so many words, it's You Don't Know Jack, but played asychronously against Facebook friends. Rounds are shorter, and there's some microtransaction stuff in there, but it's pretty much the same game you've been playing (and loving) for 20 years.

Regardless, it's free and seemingly unobtrusive in regards to your Facebook account, which sounds like a big winner to us.

You Don't Know Jack and Cookie Masterson want to be your new Facebook friends originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 23 May 2012 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ubisoft expects next-gen consoles to integrate 'item based model'

JC Fletcher — Tue, 15 May 2012 13:30:00 EST

Ubisoft likely knows more about the next generation of consoles than we all do, thanks to working on games for them and stuff, and it sees them going in a social gaming-oriented direction. The company's earnings release features an outlook for the next year, in which Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot expects to see an increase of 25-61% in operating income.

Beyond that, Guillemot expects growth due to two trends: first, "the forthcoming arrival of the next generation of consoles which will be increasingly connected and will strongly boost the market thanks to a new qualitative leap and the integration of social games benefits and the item based model," and free-to-play games.

The "item based model" sounds like a trend bleeding over from free-to-play games, in which games are sold for free (or cheap) and microtransactions bring in revenue through the sale of in-game items. We have seen this outside of the free-to-play world in this generation, in the form of costume sales and the occasional weapon unlock; however, if Guillemot expects it to be a significant source of income on consoles, it's likely to be even more emphasized in the next generation.

Ubisoft expects next-gen consoles to integrate 'item based model' originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 15 May 2012 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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DOTA 2 patch files hint at microtransactions, more

Mike Schramm — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 22:00:00 EST

As is their wont, players have been rustling through some of the test build files for Valve's upcoming Dota 2, and they've found signs of some interesting (but still unofficial) features already. First and foremost, Valve hasn't yet determined exactly what the monetization model for the game will be, but it seems microtransactions will be a part of that model, as there are various announcers (including Half-Life's Dr. Kleiner), character taunts and skins, new hero items, and a few other goodies that may be purchasable either with an in-game currency, or with real money.

There are also new kinds of couriers to buy (animal pets, basically, that will ferry items back and forth from your base), and there's one more consumable: Something called souls. A "Repentant Soul" will supposedly get players out of the "low priority punishment queue" when used, which suggests some sort of "pay or be punished" system. Gabe Newell mentioned just such a system last year, where he talked about Valve charging players "based on how much fun they are to play with." In other words, act stupid in game, get punished, and then you may have to pay your way out of jail.

Finally, "treasure caches" are mentioned in the files. They'll probably work the same way that Team Fortress 2's crates do, where you get items that need to be unlocked with a key. This is all good news for those waiting for Dota 2 -- since Valve said it wouldn't worry about monetization until the fun was in there first, the game must be almost done, right?

DOTA 2 patch files hint at microtransactions, more originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 22 Mar 2012 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Skyrim Interactive Map App is a world of microtransactions

JC Fletcher — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 16:00:00 EST

Still wandering aimlessly around Tamriel, trying to remember where you left your giant pile of buckets? Get out your phone and get some help. Publisher Prima Games just released an official Skyrim map app, beating the fanmade Dragon Shout to the punch.

The app comes with a world map and 9 capital city maps for free, with other detailed locations available through in-app purchases. You can drop pins on points of interest (say, Bucket Stack Alpha) and zoom in 3200%.

While we're a bit shocked that portions of the Skyrim map are behind a paywall in an app that is nothing but maps of that one game, we must concede the point that Skyrim is irresponsibly huge.

Skyrim Interactive Map App is a world of microtransactions originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 20 Feb 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Iwata interested in NFC payments, tolerant of microtransactions

JC Fletcher — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 09:40:00 EST

Nintendo president Satoru Iwata gave his customary Q&A session to stockholders following the company's financial results briefing. Surprisingly, the stockholders asked a lot of stuff about future plans, instead of just hostile questions about why Nintendo is losing money.

Iwata elaborated on the NFC functionality of the Wii U, specifying its utility for reading credit cards. "If we can provide a system in which consumers can use such e-money," he said, "they will far more easily be able to make payments than by entering credit card numbers or purchasing the Nintendo Prepaid Cards at stores." Of course, Nintendo has been sheepish about going into online business, which Iwata admitted. "To the views that Nintendo is cautious, conservative, or even negative about business on a network," he said, "our answer is, in short, that we will make a bold attempt when the time is ripe. Unless the timing is right, we will lose the consumers who do not have an Internet connection."

Iwata explained that Nintendo is working to find a solution that pleases both customers and retailers before offering full-game downloads, but went on to say that microtransactions, another new-ish development in online games, are not something he'd have a problem with. "We plan to ensure a relative level of flexibility for the Nintendo 3DS and the Wii U software compatible with the Nintendo Network as long as the developer has built a trusting relationship with consumers, except for the cases that consumers will be too disadvantaged," he said. "Regulations with a certain degree of strictness" will be in place to protect customers. Nintendo "will not turn down" requests to add microtransactions to games "as far as they can establish an appropriate relationship with their customers."

Iwata interested in NFC payments, tolerant of microtransactions originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 31 Jan 2012 09:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Closed beta testing for Zynga Bingo begins

Jordan Mallory — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 22:00:00 EST

If you love games of chance and stamping cards but hate being around the elderly, know that Zynga is working on a solution for your extremely specific and worryingly ageist dilema. Zynga Bingo has begun beta testing and will be made available to the general public "very soon," according to Shacknews.

The app will join Zynga Poker as part of the Zynga Casino suite and will allow players to score on up to six cards, as well as fill in spots on friends' cards. There will also be power-ups of some kind, which is where we expect to find Zynga's trademark monetization, although that's purely speculation on our part. We also expect Zynga Bingo to post "BINGO!" on your friends' walls every time you win, but we desperately hope we're wrong about that.

Closed beta testing for Zynga Bingo begins originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 28 Jan 2012 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Angry Birds catapulting to Facebook on Valentine's Day

Jordan Mallory — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 23:00:00 EST

Mirroring the plans of every bitter, lonely soul the world over, Rovio will be filling Facebook with anger come Valentine's Day. Granted, Rovio's February 14 release of Angry Birds for the social-networking site will be quite a bit different from the vitriolic bile we'll be spewing as a projection of our own debilitating loneliness, but both activities do involve throwing things and impassioned rants about how things didn't go as planned.

In addition to leaderboard support, the Facebook version of Rovio's darling will feature "higher quality animation" to take advantage of the game's full-screen capabilities. It will also include power-ups, which come in familiar bird flavors as well as more divine abilities, such as triggering earthquakes on command. Power-ups can either be earned in-game or purchased for $0.99, but you'll never be able to buy your way back into her heart. Please come back, Susan.

Angry Birds catapulting to Facebook on Valentine's Day originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 25 Jan 2012 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Valve has no idea why almost 30 percent of TF2 players spend cash in the game

Jordan Mallory — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 21:05:00 EST

"We don't understand what's going on," said Valve co-founder Gabe Newell, during last week's WTIA TechNW panel in Seattle. According to Newell, 20 to 30 percent of the people who play Team Fortress 2 end up spending money on the title's various microtransactions, far beyond the average two to three percent "conversion" Valve's partners are reporting.

"There seems to be something about the content that significantly changes how your monetization occurs, with apparently much broader participation than you would see out of something like FarmVille." When Team Fortress 2 relaunched as a free-to-play title back in June, the title's user base increased by "a factor of 5," which Newell attributes to TF2's designation as "free-to-play" rather than simply free: "You have to start thinking about how value creation actually occurs, and what it is that people are valuing, and what the statement that something is free-to-play implies about the future value of the experience that they're going to have."

Hey Valve, wanna know the secret? It's the hats. People love hats.

Valve has no idea why almost 30 percent of TF2 players spend cash in the game originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 25 Oct 2011 21:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Heroes of Neverwinter brings D&D combat to Facebook

Mike Schramm — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 07:00:00 EST

The actual Neverwinter MMO isn't set to come out until later on next year, but Heroes of Neverwinter is a new social game that's available to play right now on Facebook. According to the trailer above, it offers the "deepest RPG experience Facebook has ever seen," with some strategy-accented, turn-based combat based on the D&D system, and even a dungeon creation tool to play with. As you might imagine, the game is heavily microtransaction-based, so your journey through the Forgotten Realms will likely be punctuated with plenty of pitches to spend some real-life dough on the title.

But if you've been waiting for Facebook games to actually show a little more complexity (more complexity, at least, than those wooden animations in the trailer), Heroes of Neverwinter does up the ante. It's available for free right now on the big blue social network.

Heroes of Neverwinter brings D&D combat to Facebook originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 11 Oct 2011 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Secret World opens up about its hybrid pricing model

Jessica Conditt — Sat, 27 Aug 2011 15:30:00 EST

The Secret World isn't going to be very secret at this rate -- publisher Funcom announced its MMO will use a traditional subscription structure and an in-game store aspect, as opposed to the trending free-to-play model. Players will be able to buy "convenience items" and cosmetic enhancements in the store, but it won't offer anything to increase power, keeping the world level for all players.

"Character power in The Secret World will be determined by how well you play the game, not how much money you are willing to put into it," Funcom said. Apparently Funcom doesn't know the power of some seriously fierce eyeliner.

The Secret World opens up about its hybrid pricing model originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 27 Aug 2011 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Diablo 3 to feature player-to-player real money auction house for virtual items

Mike Schramm — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 03:00:00 EST

Diablo 3 will sport a couple of in-game auction houses to sell items from player to player. One will be run entirely with in-game gold (very similar to the current WoW Auction House), and one will let players sell and buy items with actual money.

During a press event at its headquarters in Irvine, CA last week, Blizzard Entertainment showed off both the Diablo 3 beta and its associated Battle.net service. While most of the Battle.net features were pretty standard (there will be persistent friends lists, cross-game communication, and full matchmaking services for all of the game modes), the auction system stood out.

Yes, Diablo 3 players will be able to spend real money on in-game items, but rather than a traditional item store, Blizzard plans to create a system wherein players sell items to each other -- the eBay of Sanctuary, if you will. Players will be able to put items up for sale in each of the game's various regions around the world (with a different real-world currency for each), and other players will be able to spend real money to buy them, with the real-world money going back to the original item owners.

Blizzard will take fixed fees (as yet unrevealed, though they'll be "nominal") out of the sale price both when an auction goes up for sale and when it is actually sold. And when an item is sold, players will either be able to keep earned money in a Battle.net account for spending on Blizzard products and services, or cash out entirely, with another, percentage-based fee through a not-yet-announced third-party payment provider.

As you might imagine, Blizzard's been thinking about this one for quite a while. Vice President of Game Design Rob Pardo shared a lot of thoughts with us, including why they're going with a system like this, how it will all work, and what this means for the future of Diablo 3, Blizzard Entertainment, and the gaming market at large.

Gallery: Diablo 3 Battle.net services (8/1/11)

Continue reading Diablo 3 to feature player-to-player real money auction house for virtual items

Diablo 3 to feature player-to-player real money auction house for virtual items originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 01 Aug 2011 03:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Valve relaunching Team Fortress 2 as free-to-play title

Mike Schramm — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 20:42:00 EST

Develop has posted an interview with Team Fortress 2 developer Robin Walker in which he says that the company has decided to make the popular class-based shooter completely free-to-play, supported only by microtransactions. Walker says the game has experimented with multiple price points over its long history (including allowing players to play for free during temporary periods) and that making this transition now "feels like a fairly straightforward next step along the 'Games as Services' path we've been walking down for a while now."

Walker also says that this is a model that specifically fits the multiplayer game at this moment in the product's life, when Valve is trying to reach as many players as it possibly can. The permanent price drop won't affect development on the game at all, but monetization will only go through the game's item shop. You can read more in the interview, live now over at Develop.

There's no official word on any of this from Valve yet, on either the Steam blog or the official Team Fortress 2 site. We are scheduled to hear about the next update today (and even see a "Meet the Medic" video) and the game was set to go free for just a week, but this is obviously a more permanent direction. We've contacted Valve and will post more here when we get it.

Update: Valve's Doug Lombardi has responded to us with a simple confirmation: "Yep." Enjoy your free TF2, kids!

Update: The site has been updated as well. The game's completely free to play, forever!

Valve relaunching Team Fortress 2 as free-to-play title originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 23 Jun 2011 20:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Angry Birds launch assault on internet browsers, Chrome OS

Ben Gilbert — Wed, 11 May 2011 20:00:00 EST

Finnish developer Rovio Mobile marked yet another victory in its ongoing plan to bring the incredibly popular Angry Birds to every possible electronic device that human beings use, announcing during Google's I/O 2011 Conference that Angry Birds is available as an in-browser application. Like ... right now!

Like the Android version, it's free-to-play and microtransaction-supported, but unlike the Android version, a handful of web-exclusive features have been added. Notably, "Chrome bombs" and some "exclusive Chrome levels" are both new additions -- unsurprisingly, the pay-per-use "Mighty Eagle" will return. And yes, you can play the game in browsers other than Chrome (and in operating systems other than Chrome OS).

Angry Birds launch assault on internet browsers, Chrome OS originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 11 May 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumor: MS adding free-to-play games to Xbox Live in 2012

JC Fletcher — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 15:30:00 EST

According to an anonymous source speaking to IGN, Microsoft will begin releasing microtransaction-based, free-to-play games on Xbox Live Arcade ... just a bit too late for poor Dungeon Fighter Online (pictured).

The functionality required for such a game exists on XBLA already (free games and in-game purchasing). In addition, Microsoft has previously made tentative steps toward free-to-play in the past with Joy Ride, followed by a sprint away from free-to-play when Joy Ride became a full-priced retail game.

Despite the existing tech, and the history, IGN makes it sound like a new infrastructure specifically for free-to-play games will be made available to developers and publishers.

Rumor: MS adding free-to-play games to Xbox Live in 2012 originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 11 Apr 2011 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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April Fools: Minecraft update adds megatransaction store

Ben Gilbert — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 09:30:00 EST

And so it begins. Today is the annual celebration fraught with clever (and not-so-clever) gags -- the day of fools and fooling, as it were -- and Minecraft dev Mojang is clearly taking the event very seriously. Beyond adding actual stuff in the game's beta update 1.4, the developer has launched the new (totally fake) "Minecraft Store," which features a collection of in-game items for purchase.

If the outrageous prices weren't enough of a tip-off -- $494 for the "Response from Support" item? -- the screaming Velociraptor from Mojang's match-three classic, BeDino Quest, which runs across the screen when you attempt to check out, should serve as enough of a heads-up. Unfortunately, a few sad sacks may still end up clicking away in an effort to snap up a $155 "Secret Griefer Identity" or what have you -- and to those folks, we wish you luck with the rest of today.

April Fools: Minecraft update adds megatransaction store originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 01 Apr 2011 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PopCap and Taito team up to bring Pop Tower to Japan

Ben Gilbert — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 19:42:00 EST

PopCap Games and Taito announced a partnership this morning that would oversee the launch of a new "dedicated mobile social game service" in Japan. The service is named, appropriately enough, Pop Tower. The service will add an "all-new metagame with RPG elements" to several of PopCap's titles (Bejeweled, Chuzzle, and Zuma were all named), unifying multiple PopCap properties under one persistent leveling system.

Beyond unnamed new modes being added and the RPG metagame, additional "social elements" will give players the opportunity to communicate with friends. As we've come to expect with most games moved from the Western market to the East, microtransactions will play a major role in the monetization of Pop Tower's titles, allowing for the purchase of "in-game virtual goods and premium service options." And hey, if that means we can play as Björn the Unicorn across multiple PopCap titles and persistently level him up, consider us sold.

PopCap and Taito team up to bring Pop Tower to Japan originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 11 Nov 2010 19:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Next THQ MX game coming 2012, to offer 'hybrid' budget experience with DLC

Andrew Yoon — Sat, 25 Sep 2010 01:00:00 EST

Filed under: News, In The News, Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

Games aren't always going to keep their $60 price tag -- at least, that's what THQ president Brian Farrell believes. Speaking at the recent "Goldman Sachs Communacopia XIX" investors conference, Farrell described the future of the industry, one that allows for more flexibly priced goods. He offered a glimpse at the future by discussing the company's next (currently unannounced) MX game. Due in fiscal 2012, the title will experiment with a "hybrid" model that combines a budget price point and extensive DLC.

"What we're doing this time is coming out initially with a smaller game at a lower price point, at the $29-$39 range, and then doing a download model for different modes, different tracks, different vehicles. We call it hybrid because it's a take on the microtransaction and DLC models," he explained to investors. By offering a smaller game at a smaller price point, Farrell believes they can capture the budget gamer "no matter what." However, by adding extensive microtransaction options, gamers can buy into as much as they want. "If a person wants to spend a $100 on a game then they can do that as well."

THQ's next MX game is just another example of the shifting economies within the video game industry. For example, THQ's Red Faction Battlegrounds represents yet another part of the company's experiment to diversify game pricing. EA has also been expanding its digital portfolio with its own "Project Ten Dollar" initiative. "Whether it's a take on this model or the free-to-play model, this is where our industry is going," Farrell added.

Next THQ MX game coming 2012, to offer 'hybrid' budget experience with DLC originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 25 Sep 2010 01:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Atari launches Atari GO, with plans to 'reinvent' classics for social gaming

Mike Schramm — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 18:40:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

Atari today launched a new initiative called "Atari GO" (short for "Atari Games Online"), which is designed to leverage the company's current and future catalog across a number of platforms, including consoles, mobile, social and online gaming.

Joystiq spoke with Atari Executive VP of Online and Mobile Gaming Thom Kozik, who said that the new program aims to use Atari's catalog and partnered indie developers to "not only move Atari more aggressively into providing casual online and social games, but leverage that well of experience and creativity that all of these independent developers have."

Kozik reiterated that Atari has slowly built and acquired a large infrastructure for online and social gaming, and the company is now opening up that infrastructure to both developers interested in creating new Atari titles and online affiliates that can embed and host Atari's games. Through Atari GO, Kozik said he hopes to turn sites that are currently hosting unofficial versions of Atari's oldies into new sources of income. "Take that unofficial version down, replace it with our official version," he suggested, "and you'll be able to share in the revenue."

Kozik revealed that some of the Atari GO games will be tied into the company's core games. For example, a Facebook tie-in game might unlock extra content in the upcoming console racer Test Drive Unlimited 2. "So we're able to wire together, for a particular player, their virtual goods, their experiences and what they'll be able to share, back and forth," he explained. Additionally, Atari plans to "reinvent" some of its historic games within a social gaming context. Both Asteroids Online and Deer Hunter Online are due out by the end of the year and serve as "new reimaginings of those IPs in a socialized context," according to Kozik, "with microtransactions and a broader narrative."

Atari launches Atari GO, with plans to 'reinvent' classics for social gaming originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 23 Sep 2010 18:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EA partners with Live Gamer for global microtransaction business

Griffin McElroy — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 18:20:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

One of the burgeoning microtransaction industry's biggest players, Live Gamer, announced today its partnership with its largest client to date: Electronic Arts. The monolithic publisher will adopt the company's "Elements" microtransaction platform -- currently in use by over 90 different publishers -- into its current business model to create a global storefront for in-game virtual goods.

You may not realize the implications of this deal, so we'll break it down in the simplest way we know how: World Peace. After all, you know what they say: The planet that buys virtual armor for their virtual horses together, stays together.

EA partners with Live Gamer for global microtransaction business originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 26 Jul 2010 18:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Maxis hiring development director for 'online simulation game'

Griffin McElroy — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 18:40:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

According to a job notice recently discovered by superannuation, Maxis is currently hiring a development director to aid in the creation of "an unannounced next-generation Online simulation game." The job's prerequisites give a few hints about what the new project might entail, including requirements such as "shipped at least one online PC title" and "has shipped at least one game with an online financial model, including online stores and DLC's."

Regardless of which of Maxis' franchises this new title ends up within, it sounds like it'll be microtransaction-supported. Perhaps superannuation's hypothesis that it'll be a Facebook-based FarmVille competitor isn't too far off.

Maxis hiring development director for 'online simulation game' originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 14 Jul 2010 18:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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FarmVille heading to iEverything, Android, and ... SMS?

Ben Gilbert — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 17:28:00 EST

Tired of only being able to give Zynga money in very small increments via your favorite social networking service, unable to do so while on the go? We are too. Thankfully, it appears the company will be expanding the reach of its real-time farm simulator FarmVille onto mobile phones sometime in the future, as Supererogatory spotted a handful of domain registrations for "Farmvilleandroid.com, Farmvilleipad.com, Farmvilleiphone.com, and Farmvillesms.com." The domain names are registered to the same address as the owner of the currently in operation Farmville.com ... which is owned and operated by Zynga.

Just imagine the implications of that -- there you are, text messaging Suzie about that rapscallion Geoffrey, when suddenly you're possessed by the urge to give her a brand new swine for her virtual farm. If you had an SMS-based version of FarmVille, maybe you could quench that thirst for tiny virtual gift buying! When we asked Zynga about the domain registrations, we were told, "Zynga plans to expand to various mobile platforms, but unfortunately, we cannot provide additional information at this time."

FarmVille heading to iEverything, Android, and ... SMS? originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 19 Apr 2010 17:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pre-teen FarmVille player racks up $1,300 in charges

Griffin McElroy — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 19:00:00 EST

No, no, no. This simply will not do. There are so, so many things in this world worth buying with money you don't technically have, that we can't sympathize with a 12-year-old boy who, according to the Guardian, ran up a £905 tab (something like $1,380) by purchasing FarmVille funny money through developer Zynga. Since the boy lives with his (unknowing) mother, the company reportedly refused to refund the money, leaving the boy's life savings and the mother's credit card account in a world of hurt.

There are a handful of burning questions at the forefront of our minds with this story, the most pressing being: What was the endgame, here, kid? Was your sizable initial investment going to be completely recouped with this season's bumper crop harvest of virtual soybeans?

Pre-teen FarmVille player racks up $1,300 in charges originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 08 Apr 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EA launches free-to-play Tiger Woods PGA Tour Online, stands by its man

Mike Schramm — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 22:02:00 EST

Electronic Arts has officially launched Tiger Woods PGA Tour Online, its free-to-play version of the popular golf game. Players can sign in with an EA persona and play a limited number of featured courses for free (St. Andrews and Sheshan are the two currently available), while earning XP and money for the in-game Pro Shop. Alternatively, for you fat cats out there, packages of points are also available for $10, $20, and $40 that can be spent on in-game items or rounds of golf at locked courses.

The game also offers group tournaments and friend-to-friend messaging -- essentially, it's very much EA's attempt to bring the successful Battlefield Heroes model to a new audience. In an interview with CNBC today, Peter Moore made it clear that they're behind both star Tiger Woods and this game. The free-to-play title is designed to pull in an audience of "40-year golfers, mostly male," Moore said, adding that "it's our job to upsell them." If EA Sports can do that as well as the Battlefield Heroes team has, then we may see even more of these free-to-play online titles from the company.

EA launches free-to-play Tiger Woods PGA Tour Online, stands by its man originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 06 Apr 2010 22:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Steamworks adding microtransactions, upped cloud storage limit

Ben Gilbert — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 15:00:00 EST

As the company itself puts it, "Want to offer your customers a scabbard for their sword? New tires? The latest in night vision goggles? Now you can!" It seems that while we were all up in arms about the added Mac client for Steam and Epic Games giving away its SDK to Steam devs, Valve also slipped out software developer support for microtransactions, not to mention a 100 fold increase in cloud storage limits (from 1MB to 100MB per game).

Joystiq's PC-centric sister site Big Download noticed the additions in a PDF that Valve recently released on an overview site, detailing the changes coming to the Steam digital distribution client in 2010. As for the microtransaction update, Valve promises users the ability to "buy and instantly use the items they want -- all without leaving the game," perhaps opening up the gate to free-to-play/microtransaction-based games on the service. And, maybe more interestingly, leaving open the possibility of free-to-play games based in the Source and Unreal game engines.

[Via Big Download]

Steamworks adding microtransactions, upped cloud storage limit originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 21 Mar 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Gaikai and InstantAction team up for streaming, embeddable games

Ben Gilbert — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 18:00:00 EST

If InstantAction.com's CEO Lou Castle is to be believed, we're apparently going to be playing games pretty much wherever we want in the not-so-distant future. He's just revealed plans (via IndustryGamers) to relaunch his site with a new business/distribution model and a partnership with game streaming service Gaikai. In addition to the already existing model of a quick download (a claimed 4 - 5 minutes) that still somewhat relies on your computer power to process the game's graphics, IA will now offer a streaming option for those who'd prefer a quicker, less hardware reliant gaming experience. "It's the perfect implementation of a thin client solution because when it's available it's brilliant and when it's not available it's ok ... you only have to wait a couple minutes."

The aforementioned streaming option (employing Gaikai) will also be embedabble on the web, as demonstrated with Assassin's Creed (not to mention to us earlier today) "Now if people are reading a review of a game, they don't have to go find it ... they can play it right then and there in the browser."

And that's just the beginning -- Castle clearly has an eye on digital distribution services when he talks about employing Facebook as "InstantAction's Xbox Live." IA's new distribution model essentially promises to developers/publishers the ability to release games with a variety of payment methods (pay as you go, free-to-play, one-time charge, etc.) while incorporating the aforementioned embed and streaming functionalities.

So far, the company has inked one deal for distribution (with LucasArts for The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition) and Castle claims to be pursuing others right now. And apparently it won't be too long before we get to check out the new system ourselves, as the revamped digital platform is said to be "launching soon."

Gallery: InstantAction (GDC 2010)

Gaikai and InstantAction team up for streaming, embeddable games originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GDC: Surviving High School creator talks clever, profitable microtransactions

Griffin McElroy — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 07:00:00 EST

In early 2009, Centerscore co-founder Oliver Miao was assigned an extremely daunting task. His studio had recently been acquired by EA Mobile, and his higher-ups had requested an iPhone version of the studio's successful teen-dating sim series, Surviving High School. The difficulty didn't come in developing the title, but rather, in monetizing it.

During his GDC panel titled "Surviving the iPhone: EA's Original Game Bet," Miao recounted the different business models Centerscore proposed to EA Mobile for SHS. The initial idea was to sell the game for 99 cents, and then hand out additional weekly "episodes" for free. While this would help build the brand, EA Mobile didn't anticipate enough return on the investment. It was denied, and Centerscore was sent back to the drawing board.

The second idea was to offer the current episode of the game for free, but charge 99 cents for bundled episodes from previous weeks. This idea was also shot down, and Centerscore's project was threatened with cancellation. Finally, the two parties came up with a solution that's proven to be fairly lucrative: give the current episode for free, charge for previous episodes, and offer the next episode in advance for an additional 99 cents -- quite an innovative business model.

Of course, Centerscore could have easily raked in the cash by simply charging $500 for one of its first mobile titles, Garfield Bowling. We can't think of a price we wouldn't pay for that gem.

GDC: Surviving High School creator talks clever, profitable microtransactions originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Facebook nabbing its first FPS: Brave Arms

Ben Gilbert — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 19:30:00 EST

Our biggest gripe with Facebook "games" most times is the lack of actual gameplay involved in them. Things like Mafia Wars seem much more like stat management spreadsheets couched in a social networking medium rather than games with a social media component. That said, it seems that 3G Studios is bringing a full on 3D shooter to the website in Brave Arms, announced this week and set for a March launch.

As the screenshot above corroborates, Brave Arms puts players in the first-person perspective for a Team Fortress 2-eque cartoony death match. CEO James Kosta says in the press release announcing the game that, "Our new title, Brave Arms, will bring first-person shooter games to the masses." Snarkier, meaner bloggers might mention games like Doom, Quake, Halo, or Call of Duty at this point, but we wouldn't do that. Nope. No sir. We'd just say something like, "How has EA not jumped on Facebook with Battlefield Heroes, nonetheless id Software/Bethesda with Quake Live?" As you might imagine with this type of free-to-play fare, there will be some form of microtransactions, though nothing has been explicitly detailed just yet.

Gallery: Brave Arms

[Via Games.com]

Facebook nabbing its first FPS: Brave Arms originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 06 Feb 2010 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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White Knight Chronicles launch DLC ready to go

Mike Schramm — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 22:00:00 EST

Sony made us wait a few years for a North American release of White Knight Chronicles, but it's not waiting at all to give us a chance to spend more money on the game -- the official Sony blog has news that the first DLC for the game will be out ASAP, offering up microtransactions for items to fill out the in-game "Georama" space, as well as a $4.99 "key" that will allow you to completely re-customize your character without having to start the game all over again. Of course, Sony guarantees that "there is PLENTY for you to work with in the game itself," but just in case you want to pay a little more of your hard-earned paycheck, Sony will be happy to take it.

And finally, just in time for launch day, it's offered up a brand new trailer. That won't cost you anything but a click on the link below, as it's available to watch after the break.

[Via VG247]

Continue reading White Knight Chronicles launch DLC ready to go

White Knight Chronicles launch DLC ready to go originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 03 Feb 2010 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Battlefield Heroes store updated, offers advantage to microtransacting users

Griffin McElroy — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 05:00:00 EST

It's difficult to explain the current controversy surrounding Battlefield Heroes without talking a whole lot of inside baseball, so we'll keep it simple. Players of the game are up in arms due to a recent update to the title's in-game store. Though EA and DICE had worked up a balance between the game's two forms of currency -- Valor Points, which you unlock from playing, and Battlefunds, which you purchase with real-life money -- this patch heavily depreciates the value of the former while making the latter a near necessity for those who wish to stay competitive in the game.

Items have had their Valor Point costs increased across the board -- what's more, some of these items can no longer be permanently purchased with Valor Points, but can only be taken on a one or three-day test drive. However, these same items have had their Battlefund costs reduced, and allow purchasers to keep them indefinitely.

If the items being purchased were merely cosmetic, we wouldn't think twice about this shift in fungible value -- however, the torch-wielding mob now moving through the Battlefield Heroes forums seem to think that the shooter's developer has forsaken the more frugal members of its community, giving the wealthy playboys among them an unfair advantage.

Battlefield Heroes store updated, offers advantage to microtransacting users originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 01 Dec 2009 05:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Blizzard opens real-money pet store in WoW

JC Fletcher — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 16:00:00 EST

Blizzard just opened a huge can of worms -- or of pandas, in this case. The company announced the opening of an in-game pet store in World of Warcraft, wherein players can purchase their own Pandaren Monk or Lil' K.T., the Littlest Lich, for ten bucks. Half of the purchase price of the Monk goes to the Make-a-Wish Foundation until the end of the year, but all of the Lil' K.T. proceeds go to Blizzard's spare Ferrari fund.

Blizzard currently offers for-pay services including realm transfers, race and faction changes, and character appearance edits, but this shop offers the first in-game items for sale -- and these items are exclusive to the Pet Store. While we wouldn't be surprised to see a backlash related to this new offering, we expect it to be the kind of backlash that comprises very public complaining combined with furtive purchases.

[Via WoW.com]

Blizzard opens real-money pet store in WoW originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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In-game 'shop' will bring microtransactions to Fable 3

Randy Nelson — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 21:25:00 EST

Lionhead boss Peter Molyneux isn't just pushing the curve on Xbox 360 with now-confirmed Project Natal support in Fable 3; during his speech at the annual BAFTA gathering, the legendary designer revealed his intent to integrate an "in-game shop" within the game world, enabling players to purchase DLC without disrupting the game experience (i.e. exiting to the Xbox Live Marketplace). In a report on the presentation, That VideoGame Blog noted that Molyneux had suggested special weapons, for example, could be sold for about £1 ($1.70).

Also mentioned were plans to offer "travel" to new areas of the game world (think Fable 2's DLC destinations) for a fee. Molyneux thankfully didn't suggest that such things as tattoos, hair dye and the like -- which were purchased using the in-game currency of Fable 2 -- would be for-pay in its sequel. We imagine that getting the town crier to announce you as "Supreme Ruler of the Universe Who's Better Than Anyone Else at Fable 3 Ever" will carry a modest fee.

[Thanks, Rain!]

In-game 'shop' will bring microtransactions to Fable 3 originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 21 Oct 2009 21:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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