A recent update to Mystery Manor, a hidden object title for iPad, Android and Facebook, has left iPad users up in arms. The update in question removed and dramatically altered certain aspects of the game, leaving many feeling as though they're now forced to pay real money if they want to complete the game -- a scenario that was not at all present in the original version. It's a tangled situation, and many have taken to the game's Facebook page and unofficial forums to express their grievances. With the hopes of assuaging concerns and gaining a better understanding of the matter, we spoke with Inga Shkurina, Marketing Manager and Community Lead of Game Insight's Moscow headquarters.
Game Insight may not be a household name just yet, but with 17 social games released across 25 social networks all over the world, it soon will be. The company has its sites set on North America, and has already had several hits on Facebook with games like Mystery Manor and Big Business, with the promising Crime Story soon to follow. It's also a company that's run entirely by women, making it unique in the gaming world.We caught up with Darya Trushkina, Game Insight's VP of Business Development, to learn more about the company and what we can expect in the future.
Sean Ryan, the "games" guy at Facebook, gave a presentation on Facebook ecosystem at Casual Connect. According to Sean, social games have "won," given the fact that the only game companies to sell out for a high price (more than $100 million) or going public are social game companies. Citing Zynga, Playfish, Playdom, Open Feint, PopCap Games, he raises a good point. More interestingly, Sean pontificated on the game genres he wish he'd see more of on Facebook.
Hidden object games have been the lifeblood of the PC and Mac casual games market for years but have been seemingly absent on Facebook. . . . until now. We just reviewed and gave Mystery Manor, a HOG on Facebook, 4 stars. And just moments ago, Playdom officially released Gardens of Time. I got a sneak peak of Gardens of Time at GDC and liked what I saw. Check out both Mystery Manor and Gardens of Time and tell us: will hidden object games be as successful on Facebook as they have as PC and Mac downloads?