Casual News – Sept. 12, 2008

Big Fish Games raises $83 million in financing, XComony runs down 45 game companies in the Greater Seattle area (21 of which are casual), and Mytopia launches the first cross-platform gaming community for social networks and smartphones. These headlines and more below.

News

• Mytopia launches first cross-platform gaming community for social networks and smartphones
• The next generation of 3D games and media – now free on the Web
• Zed buys Mobitween Flash Lite developer
• FreemantleMedia Enterprises and RealNetworks announce multi-year casual game licensing agreement
• Majesco Entertainment ships Air Traffic Chaos for Nintendo DS
• Ubisoft walks the dog with Cesar Millan
• Let out your inner princess – Natsume’s Magical Princess debut for Nintendo DS goes gold
• SingStar Country takes center stage on the PlayStation 2 system this October
• mDisney signs U.S. publishing agreement with leading Korean mobile game company Com2uS
• Verizon Wireless and Smashing Games deliver four new Adobe Flash Lite games to Verizon Wireless customers
• Pac-Man Arcade Golf putts onto mobile phones

Features

• Inconcievable! How The Princess Bride became a game
• Music Catch: From hit single to endless setlist
• Big Fish Games raises $83 million venture round for downloadable games
• Big Fish Games looking to expand its pond
• Big Fish hauls in deals
• Game On: The Greater Seattle Gaming Cluster
• Why Spore won’t work
• Opinion: What do women want from games?
• Get into the game, Google
• The casual games Da Vinci Code
• Persuasive Games: Video Game Snapshots
• TC50: The Latest gaming companies – Grockit, Akoha, Amosphir and Playce
• Capcom wants a slice of the Western development sector

Erin Bell