Spike TV Video Game Awards Nominees Missing One Big Thing: Social Games

Spike TV has announced its nominees for the 2009 VGA awards show, which honors the year's best video games. As an official VGA Awards judge, I get to vote on the nominees, which include a heap of fantastic games, such as Modern Warfare 2, Left 4 Dead 2, Grand Theft Auto, Batman: Arkham Asylum and the like. I'm especially pleased to see to see PopCap's "hard casual" game Plants vs. Zombies made the list.

However, I can't help but notice that there's some big gaping holes in the nominees, namely FarmVille, Mafia Wars and other social games.

spike tv video game awards, no farmville

This could easily lead to a huge debate on how these awards are for the "core" gamer and not for casual player, but I know plenty of people (including myself) who play Modern Warfare 2 will then turn right around and play FarmVille and Mafia Wars on Facebook.

Also take into consideration that FarmVille boasts roughly 60 million active players a month (World of Warcraft has about 12 million players). Based on that statistic alone, social games deserve to be recognized for the hours of entertainment they bring to gamers -- both core and casual -- lives on a daily (sometimes two or three times a day) basis.

So to my hard-working pals at Spike TV, I implore you to consider including a category for Best Sociable Games next year (or at the very least, an honorary tip of the hat). Millions of virtual farmers, mobsters and pet owners will thank you.

If you're interested in checking out the awards, they will air live on Spike TV, Saturday, December 12 at 8 p.m ET/PT. The show also has a fan favorite category -- so go to the official site to place your vote.

See the complete list of this year's Spike TV Video Game Awards 2009 nominees after the jump >

GAME OF THE YEAR
• Batman: Arkham Asylum (Eidos Interactive - Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment / Rocksteady Studios)
• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (Activision Publishing / Infinity Ward)
• Left 4 Dead 2 (Valve)
• UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves (Sony Computer Entertainment / Naughty Dog)

STUDIO OF THE YEAR
• Infinity Ward
• Naughty Dog
• Rocksteady Studios
• Valve

BEST SHOOTER
• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (Activision Publishing / Infinity Ward)
• Halo 3: ODST (Microsoft Game Studios / Bungie)
• Killzone 2 (Sony Computer Entertainment / Guerrilla Games)
• Left 4 Dead 2 (Valve)

BEST RPG
• Borderlands (2K Games / Gearbox Software)
• Demon's Souls (Atlus / FromSoftware)
• Dragon Age: Origins (Electronic Arts / BioWare)
• Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story (Nintendo / AlphaDream)

BEST FIGHTING GAME
• BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger (Aksys Games / Arc System Works)
• Soulcalibur: Broken Destiny (NAMCO BANDAI Games / Project Soul)
• Street Fighter IV (Capcom / Capcom/Dimps)
• Tekken 6 (NAMCO BANDAI Games)


BEST INDIVIDUAL SPORTS GAME
• EA SPORTS Fight Night Round 4 (Electronic Arts / EA Canada)
• Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 (Electronic Arts / EA Tiburon)
• UFC 2009 Undisputed (THQ / Yuke's Media Creations)
• Wii Sports Resort (Nintendo)

BEST HANDHELD GAME
• Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars (Rockstar Games / Rockstar Leeds)
• Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story (Nintendo / AlphaDream)
• Professor Layton and The Diabolical Box (Nintendo / Level-5)
• Scribblenauts (Warner Bros. Interactive / 5th Cell)

BEST GRAPHICS
• Batman: Arkham Asylum (Eidos Interactive - Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment / Rocksteady Studios)
• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (Activision Publishing / Infinity Ward)
• Killzone 2 (Sony Computer Entertainment / Guerrilla Games)
• UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves (Sony Computer Entertainment / Naughty Dog)

BEST GAME BASED ON A MOVIE OR TV SHOW
• Ghostbusters: The Video Game (Atari / Terminal Reality)
• South Park Let's Go Tower Defense Play! (Microsoft / DoubleSix)
• The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena (Atari / Starbreeze AB)
• X-Men Origins: Wolverine Uncaged Edition (Activision Publishing / Raven Software)

BEST MUSIC GAME
• DJ Hero (Activision Publishing / FreeStyleGames)
• Guitar Hero 5 (Activision Publishing / Neversoft Entertainment)
• LEGO Rock Band (MTV Games – Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment / Traveler's Tales Games - Harmonix)
• The Beatles: Rock Band (MTV Games / Harmonix)

BEST DRIVING GAME
• Dirt 2 (Codemasters)
• Forza Motorsport 3 (Microsoft Game Studios / Turn 10)
• Gran Turismo (PSP) (Sony Computer Entertainment / Polyphony Digital)
• Need for Speed SHIFT (Electronic Arts / Slightly Mad Studios)

BEST ACTION ADVENTURE GAME
• Assassin's Creed 2 (Ubisoft / Ubisoft Montreal)
• Batman: Arkham Asylum (Eidos Interactive - Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment / Rocksteady Studios)
• Brütal Legend (Electronic Arts / Double Fine Productions)
• UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves (Sony Computer Entertainment / Naughty Dog)


BEST TEAM SPORTS GAME
• FIFA Soccer 10 (Electronic Arts / EA Canada)
• Madden NFL 10 (Electronic Arts / EA Tiburon)
• NBA 2K10 (2K Sports / Visual Concepts)
• NHL 10 (Electronic Arts / EA Canada)

BEST SOUNDTRACK
• Brütal Legend (Electronic Arts / Double Fine Productions)
• DJ Hero (Activision Publishing / FreeStyleGames)
• Guitar Hero 5 (Activision Publishing / Neversoft Entertainment)
• The Beatles: Rock Band (MTV Games / Harmonix)

BEST XBOX 360 GAME
• Batman: Arkham Asylum (Eidos Interactive - Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment / Rocksteady Studios)
• Forza Motorsport 3 (Microsoft Game Studios / Turn 10)
• Halo 3: ODST (Microsoft Game Studios / Bungie)
• Left 4 Dead 2 (Valve)

BEST Wii GAME
• MadWorld (SEGA / Platinum Games)
• New Super Mario Bros. Wii (Nintendo)
• Punch-Out!! (Nintendo / Next Level Games)
• Wii Sports Resort (Nintendo)

BEST PS3 GAME
• inFAMOUS (Sony Computer Entertainment / Sucker Punch)
• Killzone 2 (Sony Computer Entertainment / Guerrilla Games)
• Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time (Sony Computer Entertainment / Insomniac Games)
• UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves (Sony Computer Entertainment / Naughty Dog)

BEST PC GAME
• Dragon Age: Origins (Electronic Arts / BioWare)
• Left 4 Dead 2 (Valve)
• Plants vs. Zombies (PopCap Games)
• The Sims 3 (Electronic Arts / The Sims Studio)

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
• Assassin's Creed 2 (Ubisoft / Ubisoft Montreal)
• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (Activision Publishing / Infinity Ward)
• Halo 3: ODST (Microsoft Game Studios / Bungie)
• UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves (Sony Computer Entertainment / Naughty Dog)

BEST MULTI-PLAYER GAME
• Borderlands (2K Games / Gearbox Software)
• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (Activision Publishing / Infinity Ward)
• Halo 3: ODST (Microsoft Game Studios / Bungie)
• Left 4 Dead 2 (Valve)

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A HUMAN MALE
• Bill Murray as Dr. Peter Venkman in Ghostbusters: The Video Game (Atari)
• Hugh Jackman as Wolverine in X-Men Origins: Wolverine Uncaged Edition (Activision Publishing)
• Samuel L. Jackson as Afro Samurai / Ninja Ninja in Afro Samurai (Surge)
• Shia LaBeouf as Sam Witwicky in Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (Activision Publishing)
• Vin Diesel as Richard B. Riddick in The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena (Atari)

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A HUMAN FEMALE
• Eliza Dushku as Rubi Malone in WET (Bethesda Softworks)
• Kristen Bell as Lucy Stillman in Assassin's Creed 2 (Ubisoft)
• Megan Fox as Mikaela Banes (Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen / Activision Publishing)
• Tricia Helfer as Dare (Halo 3: ODST / Microsoft Game Studios)

BEST CAST
• Brütal Legend (Electronic Arts / Double Fine Productions)
• Eat Lead: The Return of Matt Hazard (D3 Publisher / Vicious Cycle)
• Ghostbusters: The Video Game (Atari / Terminal Reality)
• South Park Let's Go Tower Defense Play! (Microsoft / DoubleSix)
• X-Men Origins: Wolverine Uncaged Edition (Activision Publishing / Raven Software)

BEST VOICE
• Arleen Sorkin as Harley Quinn in Batman: Arkham Asylum (Eidos Interactive – Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment)
• Claudia Black as Chloe Frazer in UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves (Sony Computer Entertainment)
• Jack Black as Eddie Riggs (Brütal Legend / Electronic Arts)
• Mark Hamill as The Joker in Batman: Arkham Asylum (Eidos Interactive – Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment)
• Nolan North as Nathan Drake in UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves (Sony Computer Entertainment)

BEST DOWNLOADABLE GAME
• Battlefield 1943 (Electronic Arts / DICE)
• Fat Princess (Sony Computer Entertainment / Titan Studios)
• Plants vs. Zombies (PopCap Games)
• Shadow Complex (Microsoft Game Studios / Chair Entertainment)

BEST DLC
• Fallout 3 – Broken Steel (Bethesda Softworks / Bethesda Game Studios)
• Fallout 3 – Point Lookout (Bethesda Softworks / Bethesda Game Studios)
• Grand Theft Auto IV: The Ballad of Gay Tony (Rockstar Games / Rockstar North)
• Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost & Damned (Rockstar Games / Rockstar North)

BEST INDEPENDENT GAME FUELED BY DEW
• 'Splosion Man (Twisted Pixel)
• Flower (ThatGameCompany)
• Osmos (Hemisphere Games)
• Trials HD (RedLynx)

MOST ANTICIPATED GAME
• Bioshock 2 (2K Games / 2K Marin)
• God of War III (Sony Computer Entertainment / SCE Studios Santa Monica)
• Mass Effect 2 (Electronic Arts / BioWare)
• Starcraft II (Blizzard Entertainment)

Facebook games partnerships gig given to former LiveJournal CEO

Sean Ryan (pictured), who previously worked for News Corp. creating an online games division, is now director of games partnerships at Facebook, VentureBeat reports. The position had been open since August before the decision was finally made to take Ryan on, who also previously served as CEO for Meez, a virtual world for teenagers and LiveJournal, a once popular blogging service before the turn of the decade.

Now, don't get too excited--Facebook will not be making its own games anytime soon if ever. Ryan will purely foster the social network's relationships with developers like Zynga, Playdom, Playfish and more. In other words, it's this guy's job to keep dudes like Zynga CEO Mark Pincus peachy keen.

This is a smart move by Facebook, which hasn't had a stellar track record of catering both to gamers and non-gamers alike. Though, the company did recently create a new development division solely for improving the gaming experience on the site. It seems as if Facebook is finally serious about the half of its users that enjoy these games, which aren't going away anytime soon.

LiveJournal launches social games channel with ... four games

LiveJournal, the 21-million-user strong social journal website, has launched a social games portal. The company has teamed up with i-Jet Media, a Russian social games publisher, to bring four games to the public beta test LiveJournal Games. The games include Sim Hospital, Farm Frenzy Neighbors, Crazy Cars and City Gangs, most of which appear to be localizations of previous i-Jet Media games. So far, games like Sim Hospital are already enjoying over 3 thousand players.

Of course, all of the games are free to play, but require a LiveJournal account to join. After looking at i-Jet Media's catalog of over 70 published social games from 40 developers globally, you can safely assume this list of four games will grow in the future. "Many of our users are gamers, so we're pleased that our users will now be able to enjoy their favorite social gaming activities without leaving LiveJournal," US LiveJournal general manager Anjelika Petrochenko said. "This beta version of games is just a starting point for LiveJournal. We look forward to expanding upon this initial offering with a growing suite of social games to suit our users' eclectic interests."

Farm Frenzy Neighbors
In fact, some future games have already been announced like the aptly-named Trains and Airport. (Boy, I can't wait to find out how those games work.) Alex Kostarev, CEO and Co-founder of i-Jet Media, said, "We believe our unique take on social gaming will be very well received by LiveJournal users, who have a reputation for wanting differentiated social media experiences. Our mission is to bring compelling games that offer original twists on popular themes."

Sean Ryan, a former LiveJournal CEO, left News Corp. recently to join Facebook in its attempt to strengthen partnerships with social game developers. Could this move be a reaction to that? That's uncertain, but regardless of the quality of its games LiveJournal might want to consider giving Ryan a ring.

Yoostar Playground on Facebook: Viral videos in your control

Just about anyone who watched The Oscars this year would agree the funniest part of the evening was as Anne Hathaway and James Franco frolicked through scenes of Oscar-nominated flicks. With Yoostar 2 for Xbox Kinect and PlayStation Eye by Blitz Games and Yoostar Entertainment Group, players can insert themselves into scenes from classic movies like 300 and The Godfather and ad lib like the pros. But it's only through Yoostar Playground on Facebook that your 30-second clips have the potential to go viral.
Yoostar Playground video gallery

Your ProgressYoostar Playground, developed internally by its publisher, allows players of the console games to upload their ad libbed video clips to the web application and share them with the existing player base. Then, the audience can browse the litany of videos by several different parameters like "Most Popular" or "Top Awarded," and watch away. However, you can then rate those videos through a star system and grant them awards like "Best Script Flip" and of course "Best Actor."

As these videos get rated, they can gain notoriety throughout the community on the full-screen app's home page in the "Featured Videos" section. Players can also share these videos through Facebook and Twitter for friends outside of Yoostar Playground, giving them the potential to go viral. As users view, rate and award videos, their level will increase (pictured right), which increases their renown and their stash of Yoobucks. This in-game currency isn't available for use yet nor can it be bought, but it allows players to gain levels more quickly and boost their notoriety on Yoostar.

Many of the videos on Yoostar Playground are available for public use, meaning other users can take their friends' videos and create a series of scenes through the Video Mashup tool. Say you want to make a "Best of" compilation of the greatest King Leonidas impressions on Yoostar--this is exactly what Video Mashup is for. Users can then take those Mashups and share them for their fellow players to rate and award.

While we've yet to play Yoostar 2 for consoles (or the PC or Mac), the Yoostar Playground companion app is definitely a blast. Players can use the app right now to view and share videos, but we'd imagine creating your own and sharing them through the console games would be far more entertaining.

Click here to check out Yoostar Playground on Facebook Now>

Have you played Yoostar on either Facebook or the consoles? What do you think of the viral potential behind Yoostar videos through Yoostar Playground?

Study: Older mobile social gamers play less, but aren't afraid to spend

Old folk don't have the time to wait for energy in their iPhone and Android games--they have ... crossword puzzles to do. Or something like that. It's no wonder then that MocoSpace found in a recent study that older mobile social gamers spend less time playing their smartphone games of choice than their younger counterparts, but way more spend on virtual goods in said games.

MocoSpace, a mobile social games network with 22 million players, surveyed nearly 500,000 MocoSpace users between August and November to find out more about their play and spending habits. Unsurprisingly, mobile social gamers between 25 and 35-years-old spent the most time in their games: 67.9 million collective minutes over three months. However, only 22 percent of players in that same age group bought virtual goods in that time period.
MocoSpace Study chart
Players aged 45 and older, on the other hand, spent just 23.6 million collective minutes in their games of choice, the least of all age groups. Despite that, a whopping 70 percent of the older gamers spent cold, hard credit on virtual goods within the games. Granted, the sample size of older gamers compared to younger--30,297 to 190,210--is far smaller, but the percentage is nevertheless massive.

So, old folks that happen to play games on smartphones either happen to have more disposable income than younger mobile gamers, have less time to waste or a combination of both. (Keep in mind, however, that is study solely consists of MocoSpace users.) You'd think that old curmudgeons would scoff at the thought of buying virtual playthings, but here we are.
MocoSpace study numbers
Are you an older social gamer that buys lots of in-game items? Do you think these findings might be accurate across the board?

Play Kabam's hardcore strategy social games straight from the desktop

It's like they're PC games, only they're still connected to Facebook and Google+. (Well, that and they still look like browser games.) Kabam has released four of its most popular social games through SweetLabs's Pokki platform, a service that allows developers to turn their web-based games and apps into desktop-based programs with the same functionality.

In short, now you can play Dragons of Atlantis, Thirst of Night, Edgeworld and The Godfather: Five Families without having to open up a web browser and going to Facebook or Google+. Fans of Kabam's "hardcore" social strategy games can now download all four games and play them as if they were downloadable PC games from the start. (Unfortunately, only Windows users need apply.) However, we imagine the games will still require an Internet connection and, almost more importantly, a connection to either social network.

"Kabam creates uniquely rich social games for real gamers, and we couldn't be happier that they're using Pokki to bring those games to the desktop for the first time," SweetLabs co-founder and CMO Chester Ng said. "A word of caution though: One click access to Kabam games without ever having to open a browser can be highly addicting, especially when coupled with real-time in-game notifications."

While one-click access sounds appealing, was it really that difficult to access the games on Facebook or Google+ to begin with? At any rate, this is an interesting move for Kabam, and an obvious attempt at increasing its strategy games' appeal to the "hardcore" gaming crowd. Will they bite? Who knows but if you ask Raptr, "hardcore" gamers already have.

Click here to download Kabam's games for Windows >

What do you think of Kabam releasing its games as desktop applications? Would you rather play your favorite social games straight from your desktop or within the browser?

Social games will monetize people in the future: Parody or inevitability?

Wait, isn't this just gamification? A clever Gamasutra blogger predicts in a scathing parody that the next step for social game developers like Zynga is to monetize non-players' responses to their social gaming friends. Have a deep hatred for your friend's endless FarmVille posts? "Now picture a world where Zynga sells digital toxic goo! You log onto Zynga's digital store, purchase a couple barrels of the stuff for a few bucks and pour it on your annoying friend's farm," Gamasutra blogger Robert Boyd writes. "Satisfaction gained and Zynga has made money off of someone who doesn't even play their games."

Boyd goes on to flesh out a world where the arms races moves to Facebook, in which players compete against non-players in thwarting each others' Facebook experience (and defending theirs from attack)--game or not. But wait, there's more. "And let's not stop there! After this cycle has occurred a few times, we'll send you a message about our new game, FactoryVille!" Boyd writes. "By managing your factory wisely, you can create a never-ending stream of toxic goo to pour on the farms of friends and foes alike! Of course, to have the best factory, you'll want to purchase a few of our virtual goods..."

According to Boyd, you can easily replace "toxic goo" with whatever is relevant to the game at hand and bring in a whole new demographic of money-makers who want revenge on their farmer friends. It's too bad that News Feeds don't interfere with those who don't play games anymore, or this satire would be more applicable. (Though, nothing is ever out of the realm of possibility.) Regardless, it's a chuckle-worthy outside perspective of the social gaming industry that you can find in full right here.

Would be game if Zynga introduced a feature like this? What are thoughts on the monetization methods of popular social game creators?

CBS show Let's Make a Deal haggles its way to Facebook this fall

While a good portion of you whippersnappers might not even know what this is all about, be excited nonetheless. GameHouse, the social game development studio for RealNetworks, will launch Let's Make a Deal on Facebook this fall, USA Today reports. The adaptation of the nearly 50-year-old game show was made possible through a licensing deal with FreeMantleMedia Enterprises, and joins the ranks of Wheel of Fortune, Jeopardy and Family Feud as game shows-turned-social games.

RealNetworks Senior Vice President Matt Hulett said that the game fits on Facebook "because the show's format already has all of the elements necessary to make a great social game. Let's Make a Deal has phenomenal consumer recognition and strong appeal. The show is a classic with a well-understood game premise ... (and) embodies personality and has a great sense of humor with its costumes and 'zonks.' Plus the mini-games format is sure to add variety, and there are terrific opportunities to personalize, customize and engage friends."

Unfortunately, no other details have been released. However, we can only hope that the game will play in real time. If you ask me, making a deal only to wait for the friend to accept or deny would be pretty boring. GameHouse, you have the power to make this Facebook game live another 50 years on Facebook. OK, maybe not that long, but the game could enjoy a long life of zonks and prizes, if done right.

[Image Credit: Let's Make a Deal]

Were you a fan of this game show as a kid, or watch it today on CBS? Would you play it if successfully revived the spirit of the original?

Finally, all future Facebook privacy changes will be opt-in, not opt-out

Facebook games and privacy have been something of, well, we'll just say it: a pain in the ass more times than not. Even as recently as this summer, changes to the games platform had players scrambling to protect their privacy. And while we almost always find workarounds, it simply shouldn't have to be that way. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg finally (if reluctantly) agrees with that.

From this day forward, all changes to Facebook that might affect users' privacy will be opt-in, meaning users will have to agree to the change before it can take place within their profile or an app. According to a statement made by the US Federal Trade Commission, Facebook is "required to obtain consumers' affirmative express consent before enacting changes that override their privacy preferences."

This settlement is the result of charges issued against Facebook by the FTC that the company "deceived consumers by telling them they could keep their information on Facebook private, and then repeatedly allowing it to be shared and made public." Now, the company must be audited by third-party privacy firms every two years to ensure that Facebook holds a privacy program that meets the FTC's order.

Of course, this means that it will be much more difficult for Facebook to push changes like, say, the Facebook Games Ticker, which blasts in-game activities without the player so much as clicking a "Share" button. Sure, this likely means that no future Facebook change will ever reach 100 percent of its users. But we also don't like it when everyone and their mother knows exactly when we log into CastleVille every day.

Vostu goes for (another) Goooaaal with GolMania on Google+

Alright, so we just really like saying "Goooaaal!" At any rate, Brazilian social game maker Vostu has released its impressive soccer/football game GolMania on Google+. According to the developer, over 35 million matches have been played since GolMania's release on Facebook and Orkut in September. We're gonna' guess that's thanks to the game's real-time multiplayer.

Well, that and the game's smooth animations, skilled-based play mechanics and flashy visuals. GolMania was developed by MP Studio, a recent addition to Vostu responsible for several themed web games for brands like Nickelodeon and Coca-Cola. We generally don't recommend gamers play Google+ ports of Facebook games in the interest of, well, having friends. But since GolMania runs on the Vostu Game Network, players can compete across social networks.

Since the game launched earlier this fall, Vostu has introduced interpretations of real-life football clubs, like Boca Juniors and River Plate Buenos Aires, the two most famous clubs in Argentina, according to the developer. While the game is currently only available in Portugese, Spanish and English, Vostu didn't pass up the chance for some friendly trash talk: "So far, when the legendary match-up occurs between players from Brazil and players from Italy, Brazil wins 56 percent of the time."

Of course, GolMania doesn't forget that its a cartoon soccer world. Players can duke it out in real time on the moon, bounce the ball off stadium walls and--perhaps the most fanciful--tackle players without fear of a red card. In other words, prepare to take your hand off the mouse in a social game for once.

Click here to play GolMania on Google+ Now >

Have you tried GolMania yet on Facebook or Orkut? Do real-time, 3D multiplayer games have a chance on social networks?

Webcams + Facebook games = what looks like fun, thanks to Rounds

Rounds Bubblins
Some social gamers have long awaited real-time gaming on Facebook. And while some game makers have met that challenge well, perhaps you had something different in mind. Rounds, the self-proclaimed first "communitainment platform" on Facebook, is banking on that with a brand new selection of nine real-time social games for friends to play with as they chat over webcam.

The Israeli company, founded in 2008, made the new games for its nearly 1 million monthly users thanks to $3 million in funding. "Rounds users can expect to get hooked to these new activities like they have with our activities and games already on the site--and probably more so," Rounds CEO and co-founder Dany Fishel said in a release. "As Rounds continues to grow, the offerings are only going to get better and more addicting than they already are."
Gallery: Rounds on Facebook
The new games are designed to simulate a real-world game room, but we wouldn't go that far. However, based on these first screens, they sure do look to make webcam chat a helluva lot more fun. Here's Round's take on all nine games:

    Bubblins: A solo or multi-player game in which you match Bubblins to decrease your opponent's life while increasing your own.
    Charades: The online version of the classic game lets you act out a word or phrase as your opponent tries to guess who or what you are depicting.
    Faces iMake: Create your own crazy face using everyday objects in new and innovative ways.
    Gluey: Combine blobs of the same color and use special items to rack up points and best your opponent's score.
    Mad Pet: Race your skateboarding dog, do tricks and avoid holes along the way to accumulate more points than your friend's skateboarding canine.
    Space Purge: Save Planet Earth by destroying incoming asteroids and rogue satellites, and gain special power ups to score the most points before your three lives are up.
    Super Drift 3D: Pick your favorite car and favorite course and race against friends in a one of a kind 3D speed-racing game.
    Whack-a-Friend: Whack your friend while you Video Chat Rounds before they whack you.
    Wonder Putt: Mini-golf on steroids adventure throws cows, torpedoes, ski slopes and alien abductions your way as you try to shoot par.


Many of the games in this suite are available to play now through Rounds, including Space Purge, Bubblins, Super Drift 3D and MadPet. The rest of the games are said to hit Rounds by early 2012. Now, good luck with coordinating some play time with your friends, because who wants to show their ugly mug to a bunch a strangers?

UK Facebook users could soon gamble their earnings away (for real)

As in, gamble their real cash away with the chance of actually winning money in return. According to eGaming Review (eGR) [paywall link], Facebook is talking with a number of UK operators to possibly open up its platform to real-money gambling. And the change could happen as soon as the first quarter in 2012. We can almost hear the sobs of British men in the gutter already from bad Zynga Poker matches.

eGR reports, citing anonymous sources (of course), that Facebook is considering providing eight licenses to UK operators looking to get into a market that developers are already trying to crack. According to the website, Facebook is already staffing up in preparation for the initiative. This type of thing is likely years away from happening in the US, where online gambling is, for all intents and purposes, illegal.

The UK-based online gambling companies in question reportedly include Gamesys and 888 Holdings. However, more details on how age gates, payment solutions or revenue splits between Facebook and the companies would work aren't available. The website speculates that Facebook could be using the UK as a testbed for similar efforts in other countries.

The news comes as particularly striking considering the number of mock-casino and betting games that have hit Facebook in recent months from DoubleDown Casino to Yazino's games and Bet Tycoon, to name a few. In fact, Yazino CEO Hussein Chahine thinks that the social gaming market would be vastly different today if not for how the US handled online gambling prior to the rise of the genre. Well, it looks like those floodgates are about to open--at least elsewhere in the world.

Diamond Dash maker: Social games 'will evolve again in the next years'

Frankly, they kind of have no choice. That's general idea Wooga studio head Henric Suuronen (pictured) seems to have put forward in an in-depth interview with Gamasutra. And it would be wise to listen--the Berlin, Germany-based Facebook game creator is third behind Zynga and EA (now that PopCap's numbers have been integrated), according to AppData.

During the interview, Suuronen gave Gamasutra a detailed explanation of where Facebook games have been, what it takes to create them from a design perspective and, most importantly, where they're going. Specifically speaking to social mechanics in Facebook games, Suuronen said to Gamasutra:

"Now moving four years forward, you have games like CityVille, Pioneer Trail from Zynga, Kabam games, Digital Chocolate games, and Zombie Lane -- great game -- and now Magic Land," Suuronen told Gamasutra. "So it has really evolved. So why would the progression stop here? So I think it will evolve, as it has done from four years ago with Jetman and Scrabulous and Tower Bloxx. So it will evolve again in the next years."

The hit maker behind Diamond Dash recently released its seventh game on Facebook, Magic Land, which enjoys a healthy 3.4 million monthly players and over 330,000 daily players. According to Suuronen, Wooga's latest game had the most man hours thrown into it, a trend he seems to believe will continue. "The whole myth of the minimum viable product -- it's gone," Suuronen told Gamasutra. "It's something that you say to investors to sound cool."

Sure, Suuronen believes that players will eventually get tired of the standard social gaming mechanics of sharing gifts and helping asynchronously. However, the Wooga studio head also points out that the harsh reality of designing Facebook games to get players to pay up isn't going anywhere, and some traditional designers have trouble coming to grips with that.

Considering social games are expected to make $1 billion this year alone (and cash in even more from there), traditional designers and companies better wise up quick if they want to fit in the next big money machine. Read Suuronen's full interview with Gamasutra here, in which he predicts how you might be enticed to pay up in the future.

Do you agree that Facebook games can only grow into more robust entertainment options from here? Where would you like to see the industry go from today's CityVille's and other life simulators? Sound off in the comments. 2 Comments

Karma Kingdom looks to combine social good, social fun on Facebook

A Facebook game that can score us some good karma points--where do we sign up? We've seen games like FarmVille and CityVille run social good campaigns, but Singapore-based developer Asvathaa has a made an entire game of the idea. The developer just released Karma Kingdom on Facebook, a quest-driven game that looks to help you "Create Your Better World," according to its tag line.

Karma Kingdom integrates Indian mythology into modern lessons of doing good for others. It does this by allowing players to curate an island nation and maintain their citizens' happiness using the three tenants of happiness: health, community and knowledge. You will be guided by several Indian gods and goddesses in your efforts to keep the people happy through quests.

You do this through creating homes for your people to live in, and then surrounding those homes with decorations that promote Health, Community and Knowledge. It seems as if it's important to keep that balance in the decorations you place. Otherwise, your citizens will quickly become unhappy and provide less Goodwill, the resource you need to provide for your people.

Players can plant crops to provide more Goodwill, and the game doesn't seem to be governed by any energy system. (Now, that's something fresh.) But what's more important is the real goodwill Asvathaa aims to create with Karma Kingdom. The Singapore developer has promised to donate a 10 percent of its income through Facebook Credits to non-profit charities. (However, Asvathaa doesn't say which charities it will donate to exactly.)
Karma Kingdom in action
The more happiness-generating decorations you buy in the game using Facebook Credits, the more Asvathaa will donate ... somewhere. "We want to offer a personal CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) platform for every individual as the desire to give back exists in each one of us," Asvathaa CEO and founder Ashok Desai said in a release. If anything, the game looks to be a fresh take on the genre given that it doesn't limit your play time through energy, and maybe it will do some good, too.

Click here to play Karma Kingdom on Facebook Now >

Have you tried this new Facebook game yet, and what do you think of the fact that it doesn't limit you via energy? Would you ever pay up in the game, not knowing exactly where your Facebook Credits are going? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment

Social game makers Gree, DeNA to take spotlight at Tokyo Game Show

Social games will go toe to toe with the hardcore scene at this year's Tokyo Game Show, Reuters reports. Gree, the 26 million player-strong mobile and social games creator hailing from Japan, will have one of the largest booths at Japan's equivalent of E3 this year, according to Reuters. In fact, both Gree and its competitor DeNA will conduct keynote addresses at the event, which runs Sept. 15 through 18.

Reuters reports that several game companies aside from DeNA and Gree, including famed creator of games like Contra and Castlevania (some of the most hardcore franchises around) Konami, are shifting resources toward social games. While the biggest Japanese games company, Nintendo, lags behind as it continues to focus on games created deliberately to take advantage of its hardware. Unfortunately, that hasn't been working out so well for the company as of late.

"Nintendo has done some pretty awful things - no software, poor pricing, poor PR, no sign of a sustainable turnaround, software support dropping like flies," JP Morgan analyst Hiroshi Kamide told Reuters, referring to the failed 3DS launch (and resultant massive price drop).

On the other hand, competitor Konami recently welcomed over 10 million players to its social games. "You can make serious returns with social games in Japan if done well - and that is exactly what they have done," Kamide said to Reuters about Konami.

Both DeNA (which enjoys 3 million more monthly players than its rival) and Gree have major ambitions of becoming global competitors in the social games space to companies like Zynga and EA, which have blazed the trail for Facebook and mobile social game in the western world. Just this past year, both Gree and DeNA made huge purchases to make global headway in the space with mobile social game network OpenFeint and mobile games developer Ngmoco, respectively.

Just as some social game makers invaded this year's E3 event in the states, it looks like the ballooning sub genre will fill up the streets of Tokyo this week, too. Whether the two companies will fill the conference halls with hot air has yet to be seen. But considering Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley analyst Masato Araki expects Japan's social games industry to grow to about 400 billion yen ($5.1 billion) by 2013 from 106 billion yen in 2011, according to Reuters, you can bet everyone will be all ears.

Do you think Gree and DeNA will have some new, interesting things to say about social games at this year's TGS? How do you think traditional Japanese gaming companies will respond? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment

Karma Kingdom looks to combine social good, social fun on Facebook

A Facebook game that can score us some good karma points--where do we sign up? We've seen games like FarmVille and CityVille run social good campaigns, but Singapore-based developer Asvathaa has a made an entire game of the idea. The developer just released Karma Kingdom on Facebook, a quest-driven game that looks to help you "Create Your Better World," according to its tag line.

Karma Kingdom integrates Indian mythology into modern lessons of doing good for others. It does this by allowing players to curate an island nation and maintain their citizens' happiness using the three tenants of happiness: health, community and knowledge. You will be guided by several Indian gods and goddesses in your efforts to keep the people happy through quests.

You do this through creating homes for your people to live in, and then surrounding those homes with decorations that promote Health, Community and Knowledge. It seems as if it's important to keep that balance in the decorations you place. Otherwise, your citizens will quickly become unhappy and provide less Goodwill, the resource you need to provide for your people.

Players can plant crops to provide more Goodwill, and the game doesn't seem to be governed by any energy system. (Now, that's something fresh.) But what's more important is the real goodwill Asvathaa aims to create with Karma Kingdom. The Singapore developer has promised to donate a 10 percent of its income through Facebook Credits to non-profit charities. (However, Asvathaa doesn't say which charities it will donate to exactly.)
Karma Kingdom in action
The more happiness-generating decorations you buy in the game using Facebook Credits, the more Asvathaa will donate ... somewhere. "We want to offer a personal CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) platform for every individual as the desire to give back exists in each one of us," Asvathaa CEO and founder Ashok Desai said in a release. If anything, the game looks to be a fresh take on the genre given that it doesn't limit your play time through energy, and maybe it will do some good, too.

Click here to play Karma Kingdom on Facebook Now >

Have you tried this new Facebook game yet, and what do you think of the fact that it doesn't limit you via energy? Would you ever pay up in the game, not knowing exactly where your Facebook Credits are going? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment