Kotaku: Web Games

Earn Gold Unlock Fable 2 Items with Web Games

Brian Crecente — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 21:30:00 MDT

Fable 2's pub games was the first cross-over Xbox Live title that let you earn something for a retail game by playing. Sure it was glitched, but they're fixing it, and it's a very neat idea.

Speaking with Lionhead Studio's Sam Van Tilburgh earlier today I discovered that Pub Games won't be the only way you can earn cash for Fable 2.

When the game's official website relaunches it will include a web game or two that allows you to earn Fable 2 gold and unlock goodies like dye pots and a chicken suit for the game. All told, gamers will be able to unlock six to seven special items through the website, Van Tilburgh said. You can also earn coin through the games.

What about mobile games? Or iPhone games that will earn you Fable 2 cash. Van Tilburgh was cagey about the possibility, but said he'd mention he idea to Peter Molyneux.

Nickelodeon Preps Gaming Glut

Brian Crecente — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 10:00:09 MDT

Nickelodeon plans to develop 600 games in the next few years. Most of the titles, it sounds like, will be web-based games, with nearly a third popping up on Nick.com alone, Yahoo reports.

The games are part of a $100 million investment by MTV Networks. MTV plans to spend $500 million on creating games for its websites through 2009 as well.

The whole thing is tied to the advertising packed into sites like MTV, Nick and Nick Jr. according to the article. Other games will allow player to try before they buy or include micro-transactions to make money.

Nickelodeon's Game Plan: 600 Casual Games Being Developed; 185 Games Planned For Nick.com Alone [Yahoo]

On Developing a Passively Multiplayer Online Game

Maggie Greene — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 19:00:00 MST

Last month, we mentioned something called PMOG, a passively multiplayer online 'game' of sorts, developed by GameLayers. One of the developers of this little experiment is Merci Victoria Grace, and she's over at Terra Nova for a guest writing stint; she's put up an interesting little article explaining what's going on with PMOG: how it came to be, how it's been implemented, and the challenges that come along with the 'game' design:

We're now in the beta of our second public version. Both versions were implemented as Firefox extensions that follow players as they surf the web. The players provide the game with access to their browsers; the game provides the players with weapons, writing instruments, a gifting system, and a self-generating RPG character.
We started out to make a casual, massively multiplayer online game that took place alongside the rest of a player's online life. To do that, we had to answer two questions. One: what kind of interaction that occurs alongside the Everyday can we provide to players that they'll accept? And two: how can the game provide players with a set of behavioral summations that they could reasonably attribute to their decision-making process?

It's worth a read through, even if you have no intention of throwing your hat into the PMOG ring.

Human Data as a Playfield: The Passively Multiplayer Online Game [Terra Nova]

GarageGames Reveals Fallen Empire: Legions

Mike Fahey — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 09:20:03 MST

It's always nice to put a name with a face. Late last year we posted about a leaked video of a Tribes-like web game from developer GarageGames. Now that web-based FPS has a name, and the name is Fallen Empires: Legions. Other than promising FPS gameplay "at its fastest and finest", the release doesn't really reveal any details, other than the fact that it will be a featured title at InstantAction.com, GG's new web-based games service due to launch later this year. "This is a first person shooter built by hardcore gamers who are wildly passionate about the genre," said Tim Aste, project director for Fallen Empire: Legions. "Legions won't be just any ordinary jewel matching web game; in terms of graphics and gameplay it will set a new benchmark of what the future of gaming will be on the web." From the video and screenshots I've seen so far, I'd say he's right. Productivity is completely screwed.

GARAGEGAMES ANNOUNCES Fallen Empire: Legions FOR INSTANTACTION.COM
3D MULTIPLAYER FIRST PERSON SHOOTER COMING TO THE WEB IN EARLY 2008

EUGENE, OREGON - January 17, 2008 - After months of rumors and a recent video leak on the web, GarageGames today announced initial details for Fallen Empire: Legions, a first person shooter for the recently announced 3D online game platform, InstantAction.com.

"This is a first person shooter built by hardcore gamers who are wildly passionate about the genre," said Tim Aste, project director for Fallen Empire: Legions. "The game design allows for us to create a unique experience that brings FPS gaming back to its roots. Legions won't be just any ordinary jewel matching web game; in terms of graphics and gameplay it will set a new benchmark of what the future of gaming will be on the web."

"We created InstantAction to give ourselves and the rest of the development community an outlet to make the games they want to play. Rather than churning out sequels or licensed games, we're working with developers focused on creating cool gameplay," said Josh Williams, CEO of GarageGames. "Fallen Empire: Legions will be InstantAction's most advanced example of this so far. Marrying core games with the accessibility and social power of the web is a huge step forward in the industry, and I personally can't wait for this game to be released so I can hop on and start playing everyone."

Developed internally by GarageGames, Fallen Empire: Legions combines distinctive freedom of movement with fast paced first-person combat to create strategic, team-oriented gameplay. The InstantAction platform has allowed Fallen Empire: Legions to leverage the best of what the web has to offer, creating an evolving experience for players that can constantly be improved upon. This is first-person warfare at its fastest and finest!

To sign up for the beta test, receive exclusive sneak peeks of Fallen Empire: Legions, and earn free Action Tokens (InstantAction's virtual currency), please visit www.instantaction.com.

News University Games

bogost — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 08:00:00 MST

News University offers free online training for journalists and would-be journalists. You just need to create an account. They've got a few games as part of their courses, which you can play for free if you create an account.

The games include Be A Reporter, about the basics of journalistic research, verification, and writing toward deadline; Run Your Newsroom, a game about managing and motivating people as a newsroom chief, and Covering Hospitals, a game about the unique features of reporting in the health arena.

If you play Be A Reporter, maybe sometime you too can grow a fashionable and effective journalistic mane like Crecente's.

News U [NewsU.org]

Bizarre Timewaster of the Day: I'll Get It!

Maggie Greene — Sun, 14 Oct 2007 15:30:29 MDT

Ever wondered what it's like to be a librarian at an institution where your patrons are incapable of finding the most basic of materials on their own? No? Me neither. But just in case you're dying to find out, the Carnegie Mellon University Libraries have put together the 'Library Arcade' (no, really), where you can test your shelving skills following the Library of Congress call number system or try your hand at a Diner Dash-esque fetch it game, where you have to keep hapless patrons happy and find appropriate materials for their "research." What sort of researcher can't use an online library catalog, I don't know. I can tell you I'd be horsewhipped by my advisors for wasting the valuable time of our librarians by asking them to find me the answer to 'Does daylight savings time really save time?'. [via Water Cooler Games]

GarageGames Readies InstantAction.com

Mike Fahey — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 17:00:26 MDT

IAC recently purchased the majority of indie developer and Torque engine creator GarageGames, and today the two companies announce the fruits of that transaction. InstantAction.com will eventually be a completely web-based action gaming portal, dedicated to serving high-quality video games without requiring downloads. I'm imagining it as a sort of Games.com, only instead of Scrabble and Yahtzee there'll be...well, action games. The companies are introducing new technology that will enable graphically-rich, multiplayer games to run in standard web browsers. You can visit InstantAction.com right now and enter your email address for early public beta access, with the site expected to launch publicly in early 2008. As well as the games portal, InstantAction is also launching a Game Development Fund aimed at encouraging new developers to create games for the internet. Personally I am kind of afraid of this. The last thing ADD boy here needs is quick and easy multiplayer action games at his fingertips.

IAC and GarageGames announce InstantAction.com, the first browser-based Action Game Network
New York - September 18, 2007 - IAC (Nasdaq: IACI) and GarageGames today announced the creation of InstantAction.com, the first Web-based videogame network. Using GarageGames' industry-leading game development tools, InstantAction.com will provide compelling original action games through a standard Web browser. IAC has acquired a majority of GarageGames' equity, and GarageGames' management team will continue to lead the business as it builds out the InstantAction network.

InstantAction will also launch a Game Development Fund aimed at fostering a new generation of game development for the internet. Introducing new technology which allows graphically rich, networked games to run in popular web browsers with no download installation, InstantAction.com will enable easy access to singleplayer and multiplayer games with core-oriented mechanics and high-end visuals.

"We've been looking at the video game sector for years and it wasn't until we found GarageGames and their idea for InstantAction.com that we believed IAC could participate in a true internet innovation in online gaming," said Barry Diller, CEO of IAC.

GarageGames' CEO and CTO Josh Williams appointed Andy Yang of IAC to spearhead the InstantAction network earlier this year. GarageGames was founded in 1999 and created the Torque Game Engine, the leading platform for independent game development. GarageGames also created Marble Blast Ultra and its industry veteran founders led the development of the popular team-based action game Tribes.

"Working with IAC, we are now able to truly fulfill our vision to enable developers both large and small to deliver innovative ideas on an exciting new accessible platform for gamers," says Williams. "The InstantAction Fund will invest in talented teams who want to bring high-quality action gaming to everyone in the world through the internet."

The InstantAction.com site is now live and accepting registrations for early access to its private beta and is expected to launch to the public in early 2008. Its initial portfolio of original core-oriented games from high-profile studios and newly discovered game development talent will be announced in the coming weeks.

Timewasters: Top 27 'Art Games'

Maggie Greene — Sun, 05 Aug 2007 14:30:59 MDT

Here's one person's take on the best of the indy/browser-based games scene, which made me happy since I never complain about getting easy access to a variety of sometimes intriguing, sometimes 'Well, that was interesting, and not in a good way' games in one fell swoop. Some on the list aren't terrible surprising - Orsinal has long been one of my favorite spots for soothing and well produced little games to while away an hour or two with - while I'm wondering how I missed others for so long (Pac-Mondrian? "Pac-Mondrian closes the perceptual distance between fine art and video games by combining Piet Mondrian's Modernist masterpiece 'Broadway Boogie Woogie' with Toru Iwatani's classic video game Pac-Man." I'm totally in). An interesting list and some of them are a good way to spend an overcast Sunday. [via Independent Gaming]

Eidos Buys Uk Mobile Dev

Brian Crecente — Mon, 16 Apr 2007 19:00:39 MDT

Eidos recently purchased Morpheme, a flash and mobile game developer in the UK with long ties the the publisher.

Develop points out that Morpheme managed to survive in the competitive field of mobile gaming with the likes of EA and Gameloft by focusing on niche and "cheeky" products. Their titles include Everything Explodes, Go To Hell and Balloon Headed Boy.

I have to admit I've never heard of this dev before, but with titles like that, I think I'm going to check out some of their games.

I hope this move means that more of their games will be going the web game route rather than the mobile route because, well, I hate cell phone games. Brian Crecente

Eidos acquires Morpheme [Develop]

Samorost 2 Out

ataylor — Sat, 10 Dec 2005 07:00:00 MST

If you haven't seen or played Samorost, you've missed out. A one-man project, Samorost is a web game: ethereal, weird, completely gorgeous and just a bit compelling. Part Myst, part Le Petit Prince, it takes some self-control to play as the story unfolds at its own pace, not yours. But it's worth it.

Now: Samorost 2. This time, there's also a "full game" version to purchase. Beautiful!

Samorost 2 [via JayIsGames]