It seems like everyone is working on mobile match-3 puzzle games "inspired" by Candy Crush Saga these days, from Yodo1/BonusXP's CaveMania to Wooga's Jelly Splash. And there's good reason. According to Think Gaming Candy Crush Saga is crushing it, estimated to be generating $630,000 a day. But after meeting with Monica Warshavsky and Dana Cohen from TabTale at Casual Connect, I can't help but think that kids apps may be the way to go. TabTale may not be as well know as King, but if you have a young child, you're probably very familiar with their games. You just may not realize it.
Now that this year's Casual Connect USA event has come to a close, The Casual Games Association has unveiled their list of winners for 2013's Indie Prize Showcase awards. The free program was created to highlight some of the best and brightest achievements in indie game development, and to reward the industry's most talented developers with new resources and recognition among their development peers and other gamers alike.
The biggest mobile game market may still be the US, but the real Wild West of gaming continues to be China. The Chinese games market is diverse, chaotic, and evolving in ways that no one would have predicted even a year ago. Yet the most interesting trend is this: East and West are converging into a single, global games market resembling more than Chinese than US model; and it's exemplified by Yodo1's announcement to expand from Chinese localization services to global game publishing.
Want to learn how to make video games, but don't know where to start? Already know the basics, and want to move into the world of console developments? Gamezebo is offering two deal on courses that's simply too good to pass up.
We love seeing projects successfully meet their Kickstarter goals, even if it means we didn't get a chance to write about them. This week, League of Legends-inspired Project Ward was on our radar, but met its funding goal only 12 hours after launch. (It's still worth supporting if you need to reveal the fog of war in your home.) Luckily, there's no shortage of worthwhile and in-need projects to talk about: this week includes a Power Rangers-style sim, a top-notch documentary, and a CRPG that could be the second coming of Ultima Online.
When I was growing up, I always tended to get a little sad by the time that August 1st rolled around. After all, that only meant I had one month left to stay in my pajamas until two in the afternoon every day, and play Mega Man until it got dark out without ever having to worry about things like homework or studying. But now, I don't think the end of the summer is all that bad, and that's because there were some seriously awesome video games that kept us having a ball well throughout the month of July.
The Temple Run franchise has seen a lot of characters run through its hallowed halls since the game's 2011 debut. While things might have started humble with Guy Dangerous, it wasn't long before characters like Merida and The Wizard of Oz decided to join in the fun. The latest runner to enter the fray is seemingly the most fitting: Usain Bolt is the fastest man in the world. But does that mean he'll be the fastest character in Temple Run?
For a game like Temple Run 2 that's all about running away as fast as you can from all sorts of evil constantly nipping at your heels, what better way to escape than to let you play as literally the world's fastest man? Starting today, Temple Run 2 fans will be able to play as six-time Olympic Gold Medalist Usain Bolt, sporting his signature yellow and green running outfit in the game.