From the "it was bound to happen eventually" file comes this: a mobile games network that allows players to compete across a number of titles with real money at stake.Android gamers may know about Skillz already, since the service has already been live there for a while. The big announcement today is that the "world's premier cash tournament platform for mobile games" is now available on iOS, launching on the App Store with more than 150 games live right now. The company is promising thousands more from a wide variety of developers.In a system not unlike online poker in its heyday, Skillz allows players to compete for free using a virtual currency called Z (a letter the company obviously really likes). Anyone who wants to play for real stakes can deposit real money and use it to enter tournaments that award cash prizes to the winners.
It's been a busy week for MAG Interactive's Ruzzle series. First we saw the launch of Ruzzle Adventure - a game that scored both an iTunes Editor's Choice position and four stars in a Gamezebo review - and now they've announced the next Ruzzle project: dominating your television set.MAG Interactive has entered into a deal with High Noon Entertainment to turn the franchise into a television series.
Sometimes it's hard to distill a game to one sentence that will capture someone's attention. The again, if that sentence includes the phrase "like Q*bert on a Rubik's Cube in space," that'd probably do the trick.I'd love to take credit for making that one up, but it's actually the words of Crescent Moon Games' Josh Presseisen. And it's the best way to summarize Twisty Planets, an upcoming puzzle game for iOS and Android from FirstSight Games and Crescent Moon Games. While Q*bert certainly had some slick moves hopping around pyramids back in the day, he's got nothing on Qub, who sort of resembles a tiny tube TV with legs and a single antenna.Your job is to help Qub hop around each little planetoid to find three stars and escape to the next one. The planets can be rotated along all three axes -- hence the game's title -- which could be a help or hindrance depending on how you twist. Qub will also have to contend with moving platforms, springboards and teleportation portals as he does his thing.
Wish you could take World of Warcraft in your pocket? It sounds impossible, but Gameloft managed to pull off a really close copy back in 2011 with Order & Chaos Online. And from now until June 2nd, you can explore this mobile MMO with no strings attached.Normally a $6.99 download, iOS gamers can get in on the action free of charge to see if it's everything they're hoping (SPOILER: it is). Android gamers will be getting a price break as well, where the game has dropped to 99 cents.This one was our pick for the best iPhone game of 2011, and they've been adding new content ever since. Seriously, I can't recommend checking this one out enough.Be sure to grab Order & Chaos Online from the App Store or Google Play before the price goes back up after June 2nd.
Head-mounted displays are the future of gaming! Maybe. I don't know. Anyway, the Oculus Rift is $350 which, last I checked, is more than $65.That's about how much De JET Work's Vrizzmo harness (what a name) will cost. Basically, it's a rubber strap you place your phone in and wear around your head. Specially designed games will show two slightly different images to each of your eyes and provide a stereoscopic 3D effect. Your phone's gyroscope handles the head-tracking.The devs at Oculus Rift have been very outspoken about how miniaturized, low-cost computer parts made their product a reality. The Rift itself is made primarily out of smartphone components, so it's not a massive stretch to think a phone could handle the processing load.It's a cool idea, in theory, but there are some problems.
Did you just check your calendar to see if it was April Fool's Day? Me too, but this is no joke. Epic Games has just launched their latest title, Tappy Chicken, to the App Store and Google Play.And yes. It's a Flappy Bird clone.Unlike other Flappy Bird clones, this one is powered by Unreal Engine 4. It was also created by one artist on the Epic Games team with zero programming skills. In other words, this is a showcase for what anybody can do using the latest version of Unreal Engine.That's some clever marketing, Epic. I know you can't hear it over the internet, but I'm giving you a slow golf clap right now.It's nothing groundbreaking, but I'll be damned if Tappy Chicken doesn't have me curious about trying the "Blueprint Visual Scripting" in UE4 that created this. Tappy Chicken is a free download on the App Store and Google Play.You can try to make your own games with a $19/month subscription at unrealengine.com.
Going to school takes time and money, neither of which anyone has enough of. But what if I told you that you could do one year of school on your own schedule, and for less than the cost of a pair of controllers? The latest Gamezebo Deal has arrived, and it's here to help you get educated.You can sign up for one year of mobile game design training from The School of Interactive Design and complete the coursework from the comfort of your own home. The cost? Thanks to Gamezebo Deals, it's just $79. That's quite a bit lower than the $1200 this program would normally set you back.If you've been itching to explore the world of game design, now's the time to get your hands dirty. Click here to sign up now.
If you're a developer making a free-to-play games and you're not sure which mobile platform to target first, you'll probably want to check out today's App Monetization and Engagement Report from the mobile analytics firm Swrve. Based on data gathered from millions of users across dozens of IAP-powered apps, it looks like there's some truth to the generally accepted bias out there: people with iPhones can bring you more money.How much more? Developers are seeing 45% more revenue per user according to Swrve's report. They further claim that there are 32% more users being monetized on iOS than Android, and that paying users are spending 10% more on iOS too.In other words, it's a clean sweep. Swrve's report suggests that iOS is the monetization king for IAP-powered games.