Casual Connect 2012 Archives

News
July 30, 2012
Industrial Toys’ Alex Seropian talks bringing hardcore to the mobile scene (Casual Connect)
By Dant Rambo
In the eyes of Alex Seropian, the mobile space provides developers with an unprecedented level of both freedom and challenges -- each of which are birthed from the autonomy to price your work as you see fit, along with the lack of a standardized business model. And with all of the excitement and creative autonomy swirling around the platform, why not strive to deliver an experience with more depth than the average mobile title? That was the question at the heart of Seropian's talk, "Go Mobile or Stay Home."
News
July 30, 2012
The Game Graph: GREE’s Ethan Fassett on their publishing platform, our mobile future, and the real problem with app discovery
By Eli Cymet
When Gamezebo founder Joel Brodie and I went to meet with GREE's VP of Product Ethan Fassett at Casual Connect, I was under the impression that we'd be there to talk about the obvious: the "GREE Platform." The mega-dev's publishing platform has just entered open beta, and without sounding too jaded, events like Casual Connect often serve as soapboxes from which to chat about their latest initiatives, per the party line.
News
July 30, 2012
Spry Fox’s next original game, tentatively titled Hoppington, will be played over 7 real-time days (Exclusive)
By Eli Cymet
One of my favourite talks at this year's Casual Connect was given by Spry Fox (Triple Town) Chief Creative Officer, Dan Cook, about designing completely original games. He feels a great place to start is at the root, with the core assumptions of how we play. Mario runs and jumps, and we control that. What if we didn't control the running part? Canabalt is what. A fitting chat, it seems, considering what this indie duo has up its sleeve.
News
July 29, 2012
Exclusive: Legacy of Heroes expansion coming August 16th, 5th Planet Games promises new content monthly
By Eli Cymet
If you're a collectible card game fan like me, you know how exciting it is when a new expansion comes out. New mechanics are added, epic characters are introduced, the mythos of the game is deepened... and you have a ton of new cards to play with. Luckily for all you Legacy of Heroes fans, all of that is happening very soon.
News
July 28, 2012
Zynga’s CPO weighs in on how the company attracts and retains talent (Casual Connect)
By Darcie King
Employment in the casual gaming sector of the industry is a rocky thing. The layoffs and studio shutterings certainly don't help, but there's also the issue of sundry companies looking to steal or court new employees. It's a problem Zynga knows a thing or two about, and Chief People Officer Colleen McCreary hosted a panel on how best to acquire and retain talent.
News
July 27, 2012
Bubble Witch Saga syncs user progress between mobile and social in a whole new way (Casual Connect)
By Dant Rambo
In the casual world, convenience is one of the most powerful tools in a developer's arsenal. It can make or break the install base of a game, and a lack of it can inspire people to quit playing. After all, they can exit out and be playing something new in a matter of seconds. How does one prevent that? Offering a compelling cross-platform experience is one possible solution, and King.com has done just that by synchronizing the Facebook version of Bubble Witch Saga with the recently released iOS version.
News
July 26, 2012
David Kaye and Michael Witz weigh in on the current state of publishing (Casual Connect)
By Dant Rambo
At the GamesBeat event a few weeks back, Benchmark Capital's Mitch Lasky stated that publishers were originally "a response to scarcity of shelf space," a dilemma that doesn't exist in the mobile/social space. Gaming Insiders founder David Kaye echoed that sentiment during a panel at Casual Connect yesterday on modern publishing, citing "attention" as the new resource developers are fighting for.
News
July 25, 2012
Empires & Allies: Zynga LA’s mission to bring hardcore DNA to the social space (Casual Connect)
By Dant Rambo
When Zynga LA began work on Empires & Allies, they were looking to bring a hardcore game to a social platform. Nearly everyone at the studio had a pedigree in console games, and most of them worked primarily on real-time strategy (RTS) games in the past. But bringing that experience to the casual market proved to be a tough balancing act, and Executive Producer Amer Ajami and Director of Product Hans Yang hosted a panel on the subject.

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Tag: Casual Connect 2012

Industrial Toys’ Alex Seropian talks bringing hardcore to the mobile scene (Casual Connect)

The Game Graph: GREE’s Ethan Fassett on their publishing platform, our mobile future, and the real problem with app discovery

Spry Fox’s next original game, tentatively titled Hoppington, will be played over 7 real-time days (Exclusive)

Exclusive: Legacy of Heroes expansion coming August 16th, 5th Planet Games promises new content monthly

Zynga’s CPO weighs in on how the company attracts and retains talent (Casual Connect)

Bubble Witch Saga syncs user progress between mobile and social in a whole new way (Casual Connect)

David Kaye and Michael Witz weigh in on the current state of publishing (Casual Connect)

Empires & Allies: Zynga LA’s mission to bring hardcore DNA to the social space (Casual Connect)

New Genre-defining Action-Healer, 3 Healers Fables The History of Three Influential Figureheads Without Combat

Guinea Pig Gunner Launches Demo on Steam

Kopernicus: Extraction Is an Upcoming Incremental Horror Game with a Cosy/Gore Feel

Viva Piñata-Inspired Garden and a Goat Launches a Demo on Steam