Social Gaming Roundup: GDC, Rixty, & More

Mark DeLoura Leaves Google - Google may be getting into social gaming with Slide's aquisition, but one of its main games guys is rolling out. As of last Monday, Mark DeLoura has left Google, as noted on Satori.org. Playboy Gets into Online Games - Playboy Enterprises is getting into online games, according to paidContent. Partnering with German onling game maker, Bigpoint, the pair is set to create and distribute games on Playboy.com. The first of these is the free-to-play title, Poisonville, a Grand Theft Auto'esque, browser-based MMO. Square Enix Dismisses Social Game Valuation - While many major companies are getting into social games, Japanese console game developer Square Enix says that social game companies as they are simply "too expensive," on Bloomberg.com. According to Square Enix President Yoichi Wada, "Valuations of social-networking games companies like Zynga have reached unreasonable levels, putting them outside of our scope." Former Playdom Employee Sentenced in Zynga Case - Zynga has won a battle in its ongoing course case against Playdom's alleged use of Mafia Wars material in its game Mobsters, which dates back to last year. Former Playdom employee Raymond Holmes was sentenced to 10 days of jail and a $4,000 fine for destruction of evidence and other offenses, according to TechCrunch, a result that may ultimately help Zynga. Acclaim Games Shut Down - In other Playdom news, the online games of Acclaim, which Playdom acquired in May, have been shut down, according to Gamasutra. That's fairly typical of this year's acquisitions, with both Zynga and Playdom acquiring smaller companies primarily for their talent. Rixty Hosts Sweepstakes - Users that become fans of Rixty on Facebook are now eligible to enter a sweepstakes to win a $250 Rixty Gaming Card worth 2500 Facebook Credits. Of course, the card can also be used for other Rixty supported, online games. 10 2nd prize winners will get a $50 card. The sweepstakes ends on September 17, 2010. BilltoMobile Begins Expansion - The mobile payments company BilltoMobile is expanding this week with over a dozen new merchants in its mobile payments platform, according to VentureBeat. Additionally, they have hired Warren Faleiro of VeriSign and Madhura Belani of Offerpal to fill the roles of VP of engineering & technology and senior director of product & marketing, respectively. Mafia Wars Stunt Attracts 2 Million Viewers - When Snoop Dog helped Zynga blow up an armored truck last week, in honor of the Mafia Wars: Las Vegas milestone of 10 million visitors, the live stream was reported to have attracted over 2 million viewers. Meteor Games Appoints New CEO - Social games developer Meteor Games has announced a new CEO this week, Zac Brandenberg. Prior to this, Brandenberg served as CEO of the digital advertising company Hydra, which he founded in 2003. GDC Online Awards Pick Finalists - The first annual Game Developers Choice Online Awards have chosen their nominees for eight different categories. Their choices for "Best Social Network Game (new)," consists of Nightclub City, NanoStar Siege, FIFA Superstars, Social City, and Treasure Isle. All five titles also appeared on our Best Facebook Games of 2010 list, back in June. Zynga Sidewalk Vandalism - Last week, Zynga's advertising for Mafia Wars: Las Vegas got them accused with vandalism of San Francisco's sidewalks, but now the blame has devolved to an ad agency, Davis Elen Advertising, according to SFWeekly. Qualcomm Gets Social - Technology firm Qualcomm is getting deep into the mobile field, says VentureBeat, revealing four mobile services this week: Neer, Qilroy, Tapioca, and Vive. Of the four, Vive is the most interesting for us, as it's a free friends-based, social recommendation service that allows friends to interact with each other, regardless of mobile device. Angry Birds Goes to Hollywood - Popular iDevice game, Angry Birds may be going to Hollywood, as Variety.com has noted that the game's makers are now looking to turn the property into a major franchise, complete with television, movies, toys, and comics. Outspark May be Purchased By Shanda Games - MMO publisher Outspark is about to be acquired by Shanda Games, according to a rumors on VentureBeat. While Outspark confirmed that it's in deal talks, the Shanda connection remains unconfirmed.

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Social Gaming Roundup: GDC, Rixty, & More

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