Games Industry Wire

Zelda, one of the largest video game franchises stemming back to the original NES, will make its online debut later this year. Phantom Hourglass, the direct sequel to Gamecube title Wind Waker, will be released later this year onto the Nintendo DS. TGDaily.com has the scoop:

“In an interview with Game Informer magazine, Zelda co-creator Eiji Aonuma was asked if The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass will have online multiplayer battles. Without elaborating, he just said, “Yes.””
The limited online portable capabilities may pave the way for further, expanded online capabilities both on the DS and the …read more

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The citizens of Whyville will have the opportunity to receive a flu shot which will result in immunity to the “Why-Flu,” a simulated virtual version of common influenza. Similar to a real flu, the Why-Flu will is transmitted between by “contact” in the virtual community, such as being in the same vicinity as another citizen’s infected avatar. Without the protection of a flu shot, a citizen will very likely get infected and experience virtual symptoms that include uncontrolled sneezing that interruptions in the ability to chat as well as unsightly red boils on one’s virtual face.
(via)
OMG, this is so …read more

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IGN was purchased for a great deal of money last year by Fox Interactive Media, and their Direct 2 Drive area is already beginning to show promise. Recent partnerships with Starz, Lionsgate, Manga, Central Park Media and 20th Century Fox (NewsCorp) hint at a large future.
The site doesn’t promote just any show for download to WMV-capable devices. Men-focused shows only need apply.
– Movies run $7.99-19.99 while TV shows are the ubiquitous $1.99 a pop with season prices varying. TV offerings are limited for now to a grab bag of Fox series including 24, Prison Break, Bones.
Variety (which had …read more

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Ruiter blogs on Why Companies Choose To Enter Second Life, and I think he hits the nail on the head, especially here:
- Participating makes your company look like it is on top of things and new developments.
- Trying to use the media attention around SL to get media attention for the company (you will need a good story though)
- Just plainly seeking out what the hell this SL is all about (learning by doing / experimenting). I am sure a lot of companies are actually in SL incognito!
- Finally, in terms of marketing budgets this is all peanuts: for UDS …read more

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RiversRunRed is a very successful business in Second Life. Here’s the interview with Justin Bovington of RiversRunRed. It’s a great podcast, and any of you interested in how the business developed within Second Life needs to hear this podcast.
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Robyn is Robyn Fritch in Second Life. She loves to receive gifts in Linden cash ::hint hint::

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This past week has seen two video game companies get VC funding. One has already generated millions of dollars of revenue with an ARG, another is as much social as it is ‘gaming’.
1. Bunchball – A social gaming site, Bunchball is viral gaming. As you can embed a YouTube video or a Slideshare slideshow, Bunchball is a way to embed any number of flash games on your own site. This round, their first after a small angel round, amounted to $2M. Bunchball plans to allow for future advertising before and after the games, and is …read more

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