Social games need to become more compelling and less cynical about making money from users, according to Preloaded's Phil Stuart.

Speaking to GamesIndustry.biz in an interview published today, the studio's creative director said that micro transactions and freemium business models have now largely been accepted by the consumer and it’s time to offer a better experience to grow and retain players.

"Internally we talk about it as Social Games 2.0, where people are trying to put the fun into those games," he said. "So many people now kind of accept micro transactions in their games - people are downloading freemium games, it’s become convention, people understand that there will be monetisation in games.

People are downloading freemium games, it’s become convention, people understand that there will be monetisation in games
"But now social games have to try and add more fun, less cynical mechanics and what we’re doing is trying to demonstrate what our take on social games is. It’s not just about compulsion loops, but general engagement."

The company, which has been working in the casual space for over ten years, has completed multiple commissioned projects for institutions such as the BBC and Channel 4.

Working closely with broadcasters and educational teams, Stuart said that he's trying to convince them to think and act more as publishing companies rather than just content commissioners, enabling them to reach much wider audiences.

"The real potential, and I think this kind of transcends brands and institutions and educators, is trying to make these kinds of bodies more like a publisher. So they self-publish titles, take their content to their audience. We’re trying to make them see themselves more as a publisher of content than a commissioner of it.

"That can work for brands and educators, and we feel like we’ve done it pretty successful on Channel 4 Education, and we’re working with another couple of clients trying to do the same thing. The idea of being able to engage an immediate audience directly through games portals or via iTunes or Xbox is a really exciting thing for them, because it used to be just a few triple-A game studios - but now they can come to us and say 'we want reach this audience around this piece of science' and we can reach them through loads of different channels. "
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...n-less-cynical ...

Two of the big three console manufacturers aren't likely to adopt micro transactions anytime soon, and are missing out on a market that has changed the games business in social, PC and mobile markets.

That's according to highly-regarded consultancy Games Investors, which said that Nintendo's social plans are a "dead end", Microsoft is busy knocking back ideas for freemium content and it’s only Sony that has opened up to the micro transaction space.

"It's a pretty distant horizon, sadly, apart from one of the platforms" said Game Investors' Rick Gibson, speaking at the Game Horizon conference in Newcastle today.

When you can monetise that user base, that core male demographic, you're looking at somewhere between $20 and $30 of average revenue per paying user
Rick Gibson, Games Investor
"There are good reasons but I'm going to throw some easy brickbats at people like Nintendo. While they talk about social and how their platforms are going to be improved in the online front it's probably a dead end and Iwata-san has very clearly 'no freemium' on our platform."

"Although micro transactions do exist in a very limited form on Microsoft [Xbox 360] there's certainly great resistance to freemium," he added. "We've seen several announcements that have been countermanded by senior management."

Leading console micro transactions is Sony, said Gibson, with 100 developers working on content and services for Home, for an audience of 20 million users. He also pointed to CCP's forthcoming Dust 514 which will be add micro transactions on top of the release for PlayStation 3.

"The pathfinder in all of this is Sony. Home is the first commercially viable hub on console," commented Gibson. "You can use micro transactions to pay for goods and services around games and non-games and branded items."

With the games market not likely to reach peaks previously seen for sales of boxed product, format holders are missing out on a potentially huge untapped market.

"There are good and bad reasons why the consoles haven't yet adopted freemium or micro transactions and there is clearly a vast and largely untapped audience waiting to play games and buy them in a different way."

"Xbox Live Arcade has a network that typically converts ten times as many players to payers," he detailed. "And when they start to spend, they spend heavily. That same demographic is spending very heavily on PC. 65 per cent of MMOGs live in the West today rely on micro transactions. When you can monetise that user base, that core male demographic, you're looking at somewhere between $20 and $30 of average revenue per paying user. For some reason it's not actually being exploited on consoles."

He added: "Peak oil is the point in global oil production where it reaches the crest and goes into terminal decline. Now, I'm not suggesting that we've reached peak console in terms of a terminal decline, but certainly it's unlikely that the boxed industry is ever going to reach the same heights that it has before. We think micro transactions are increasingly attractive to a vast chunk of users."

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...istant-horizon ...

Tomorrow all of the Star Wars books that have not previously been released as ebooks are being released. This includes the Zahn books that started the Star Wars book explosion, as well as older books such as Alan Dean Foster's Splinter of the Mind's Eye, which was written prior to certain revelations in The Empire Strikes Back

http://entertainment.slashdot.org/st...ased-As-Ebooks ...

Taiwan recently mandated that online download sites (like Apple's App Store and Google's Marketplace) must comply with a law stating consumers have 7 days to return goods bought sight-unseen. While Apple has complied, Google has refused to comply. Taiwan fined the search giant NT$1M (approx. US$34,600). In retaliation, Google pulled the paid apps section of the Market for users in Taiwan."

http://apple.slashdot.org/story/11/0...Android-Market ...

With a shiny new version of Presto that's apparently up to 20% faster, cool tweaks to Speed Dial, and a bunch of other features and bug fixes, the crazy Norwegians have just launched the latest version of desktop Opera."

http://slashdot.org/story/11/06/28/1...-1150-Released ...

Sony has released this week's list of new content on its PlayStation Store in US.

The highlight of the list is of course the Uncharted: Drake's Deception multiplayer beta, which is only available to PS Plus subscribers this week (more details here). Streets of Rage 2 is also up for grabs.

Beyond Good & Evil is a must download for anyone who missed Ubisoft's epic quest when it released on last-gen consoles and there's a Duke Nukem Forever demo those who fancy seeing if all those critical reviews are true.

Here's the full list:


PlayStation Plus

Featured Games & DLC
UNCHARTED 3 Drake's Deception Multiplayer Beta (Free and exclusive to Plus)
Streets of Rage 2 (Free with Plus - a $4.99 value)

Discounted Games
Dead Space Ignition (PlayStation Plus price $2.50; a 50% discount)
Deathspank (PlayStation Plus price $7.50; a 50% discount)
Deathspank Thongs of Virtue (PlayStation Plus price $7.50; a 50% discount)
Funky Lab Rat (Full Game) (PlayStation Plus price $3.00; a 70% discount)
Mahjong Tales: Ancient Wisdom (PlayStation Plus price $3.99; 20% additional discount on two week sale price)
MicroBot (PlayStation Plus price $5.00; a 50% discount)
Shank (PlayStation Plus price $5.00; a 50% discount)
Spare Parts (PlayStation Plus price $5.00; a 50% discount)
Tetris (PlayStation Plus price $5.00; a 50% discount)
The Fancy Pants Adventures (PlayStation Plus price $5.00, a 50% discount)

Featured Themes & Avatars
Super Street Fighter IV Arcade Edition - 4 Avatar Bundle (Exclusive to Plus for $0.49)

Updates

MAG Interdiction Mission Pack - Price Drop (PS3) (now FREE, original price $4.99)
MAG Escalation Mission Pack - Price Drop (PS3) (now $4.99, original price $9.99)

Downloadable Games

Beyond Good And Evil HD ($9.99)
Beyond Good & Evil, the award-winning action-adventure game from Ubisoft, is back on PlayStation Network, now with high-definition graphics. Play as Jade, a young investigative reporter, and expose a terrible government conspiracy; save your planet and its inhabitants. Special offer: get two avatars with purchase, now through July 12, 2011.
ESRB Rated T
File size: 1.5GB

Gatling Gears ($9.99)
When the Empire begins its reign of destruction in a thirst for natural resources, it's up to Max Brawley, a retired Gatling Gear pilot to fight his way to the heart of the Empire and eliminate the destruction at its source.
ESRB Rated E10+
File size: 1.41 GB

Puzzle Dimension ($8.99)
Easy to learn hard to master. Within minutes you will move in 3D structures and solve puzzles never seen before. 100 unique twisted puzzles. Classic fun puzzle elements: Blocks of ice and fire. Teleporters, buttons, spikes and more. Adaptive audiovisuals. Your movement and progression affects the graphics and music as you play.
ESRB Rated E
File size: 218 MB

Streets Of Rage 2 ($4.99)
To commemorate their defeat of the Syndicate exactly one year before, Blaze, Adam and Axel went out to celebrate. The next morning, however, Axel received a frantic phone call from Adam's younger brother, Eddie 'Skate' Hunter; Adam's been kidnaped! Axel and Blaze team up with Skate and Max Thunder to free the city and rescue Adam from the Syndicate. It is up to you to take down Mr. X once and for all!
ESRB Rated E
File size: 36 MB

Game Demos (free)

MotorStorm Apocalypse Multiplayer Demo
Take a test drive at the end of the world with the explosive online multiplayer demo for MotorStorm Apocalypse to get a taste of some of the deep community and online racing features available in the full game! Download the multiplayer demo today before it's too late! Available through July 5 only. Supports both 2D and stereoscopic 3D gameplay.
ESRB Rated T
File size: 1.78 GB

PlayStation Move Ape Escape Demo
Check out the demo and sample the next chapter in the Ape Escape saga; an original new adventure full of monkeys and mayhem designed exclusively for the PlayStation Move!
ESRB Rated E10+
File size: 461 MB

Beyond Good & Evil HD Demo
Beyond Good & Evil, the award-winning action-adventure game from Ubisoft, is back on PlayStation Network, now with high-definition graphics. Play as Jade, a young investigative reporter, and expose a terrible government conspiracy; save your planet and its inhabitants. Try it now!
ESRB Rated T
File size: 1.47 GB

Duke Nukem Forever Demo
Babes, bullets, bombs, and more babes- Duke Nukem Forever is the game you've been waiting 12 long years to play, and now it's finally here. Blow up the alien bastards, interact with Duke's world, woo the ladies, drive Duke's monster truck, boost up your ego, and much much more. Download now, and Come Get Some!
ESRB Rated M
File size: 1.37 GB

Dungeon Hunter: Alliance Demo
Dungeon Hunter: Alliance is the first action RPG game for the PlayStation 3 system that immerses you in the heart of a unique multiplayer experience, local and online. Face the world of Gothicus and its hordes of creatures alone or in teams of up to 4 heroes. The main quest, side quests, and the innumerable items to collect offer hours of play in a superbly modeled gothic universe.
ESRB Rated T
File size: 942 MB

Gatling Gears Demo
When the Empire begins its reign of destruction in a thirst for natural resources, it's up to Max Brawley, a retired Gatling Gear pilot to fight his way to the heart of the Empire and eliminate the destruction at its source.
ESRB Rated E10+
File size: 1.41 GB

Homefront Multiplayer Demo
This all new Homefront multiplayer demo features intense infantry and vehicle combat on dedicated servers, revolutionary Battle Points and Battle Commander systems, and 10 levels of weapon and ability unlocks. Download it today!
ESRB Rated M
File size: 1.07 GB

NCAA Football 12 Demo
Experience the pride and pageantry of gameday like never before with the NCAA Football 12 demo. With an enhanced in-game presentation, new traditions, and an all-new tackling system, make an impact by leading your team to victory. Play in two exciting match-ups as ...

Apple's sent over its picks of the new titles available on the iOS app store this week.

The biggest name on the list for us is Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing, which didn't put up a bad showing on console and can now be snapped up for three quid on the iPhone.

On your iPhone or iPad? Click on the titles to be taken to the app store.

iPad:


The Incredible Machine
Walt Disney
£1.79 (Rated 9+)

Create incredible contraptions as you solve physics puzzles, launching rockets and reunite mice with cheese.

Trenches: Generals
Thunder Game Works
£1.19 (Rated 9+)

Go head-to-head in trench warfare against your friend on one iPad, fighting for hegemony of the battlefield.

Monster Soup
Kieffer Bros., LLC
£0.59

Create chains of critters and save them from an impending ice age in this fun, simple and addictive matching game.

Kona's Crate HD
IndiePub
£0.59

Move rocket propelled crates to Chief Kona before he becomes irate, dodging obstacles and navigating mazes.

Continuity 2: The Continuation
Ragtime Games LLC
£0.59

Slide tiles, collect a key and escape the level in this deceptively simple puzzler wrapped in an enigma.

BackStab
Gameloft S.A.

£3.99 (Rated 12+)

Assume the role of swashbuckling Henry Blake on a quest for justice and revenge in this epic Caribbean adventure.

iPhone


Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing
SEGA
£2.99

Whip around corners, dodge your foe's missiles and pick up power-ups whilst attempting to maintain your lead to the finish live in this wacky racer.

Monster Soup
Kieffer Bros., LLC
£0.59

Create chains of critters and save them from an impending ice age in this fun, simple and addictive matching game.

Conquist 2
Marcos Campal
£2.99

Play for world domination in this modern take on the classic game of risk, facing off against friends via online play using Game Center.

BackStab
Gameloft S.A.
£3.99 (Rated 12+)

Assume the role of swashbuckling Henry Blake on a quest for justice and revenge in this epic Caribbean adventure.

http://www.computerandvideogames.com...VG-General-RSS ...

Surreal64 XXX CE B5.5 is released. Surreal64 XXX CE is a Nintendo 64 emulator for the XBOX. In actuality, it is a continuation of Surreal 64, which was a port of three existing emulators for PC. Those emulators included 1964 0.8.5, Project 64 1.4, and UltraHLE.



Surreal64 CE is a continuation of the Surreal64 project where Team XXX left off. Originally developed by oDD and Lantus, Surreal64 included ports of three Win32 based Nintendo64 emulators including 1964, Project64 and UltraHLE. Our goal is to improve Nintendo64 emulation on the XBOX
with the addition of:

- New or updated N64 emulators
- New or updated video, audio and RSP plugins
- Improved controls
- a user friendly and skinnable GUI


Surreal64 XXX CE B5.5 Changelog:
Added:
* Native 720p output for all video plugins and the launcher
* Full Screen Anti Aliasing modes up to 4x
* VSYNC setting to eliminate tearing
* Save state previews
* Paths for Saves and Screenshots
* Mupen64plus updated JttL audio plugin (still testing)
* M64p HLE RSP plugin (Hacktarux & Azimer)
* HLE RSP plugin (Hacktarux, Surreal CVS)
* New setting UseRspAudio
* Rom history which auto-selects the last rom at launch
* Option to toggle background music for the launcher
* Launch current rom using Y from the emulator settings menu
* Temporary messages (as known from Surreal 1.0) for launcher and all video plugins
* UltraHLE mem settings to ini - Ultra Code Mem/Ultra Group Mem
* Favorites for rom list from Surreal 1.0 (BLACK = list all/favs, WHITE = add/rem fav)
* Skin.ini for many new skinning features
* XMV Video support
* Real Time Clock support for 1964 (thanks to Shapyi and zoinkity)
* EmuXtras Synopsis by MegaMan(?)

Changed:
* Music Manager so that it plays more than one wma file (LEFT THUMBSTICK = next track)
* Deadzone now calculated as a percentage of total range
* Load/Save State text to reflect date created
* Paging methods now user defined setting in Launcher
* Max Video Mem so that 0 is auto (keep to 2MB free)
* Set VertexMode default to 2 (hardware)
* Stripped non audio SDLx code from JttL
* Toggling menu items in Launcher/IGM does now also work with DPAD/LEFT THUMBSTICK
* Expanded ingame debug info output
* Control Config Panel reorganized to better fit an image panel

Fixed:
* Mempak issue (still needs work - UltraHLE is still missing)
* Rice Video 5.60 fog reverted to that of Rice Daedalus 5.10
* Screenshot name problems
* Switching paks in menu issue
* Countless ini fixes for all Rice plugins, PJ64, 1964 (BIG thx scorp316)
* GoldenEye crashes if 4 players were facing each other in multiplayer (UltraHLE)
* Minor core (1964) and dynarec (1964/PJ64) optimizations
* Increased volume for launcher and all sound plugins except Basic Audio (missing source code)
* Several missing boxarts
* Squished boxarts

Other:
* Consistent PAL and NTSC definitions
* Added libSDLx source from HuntsVegas
* Moved all OSD code into a single file
* Added Build.bat
* Added Profile, Profile_FastCap, and Release_LTCG configs
* Changed all projects to have unique GUID's
* Switched launcher ini parser to simpleini
* Mem Decommit from 1964/PJ64 to UltraHLE for IGM
* Added Doom 64 1.1 to boxarts (rename of existing)
* Added GoldenEye:X to Surreal.ini

http://www.emucr.com/2011/06/surreal...ce-b55_23.html ...

Jagulator v2.0.2 is released. Jagulator is an Atari Jaguar console emulator. Jagulator is designed to be run on the Microsoft Windows range of Operating Systems and uses OpenGL as the graphics subsystem.

Jagulator v2.0.2 Changelog:


Update #2: Release 2.0.2 (GUI Release) is available for download HERE. Please be advised this is still development code but should make the loading of roms and binaries a lot easier. Some things to note;

- After extracting the contents of the zip file into your chosen location you will need to edit the 'jagulator.ini' file in the root jagulator directory and change to bootpath and rompath to match your installation location.
- You can load roms, binaries or initiate the Jaguar CD Bios from the 'File' menu.
- All roms and binaries selected will start automatically after loading.
- The video output screen will now center on your desktop.
- When loading a binary you will be promoted for the load address after file selection.
- Pressing Escape will stop execution. If you wish to try another rom/binary after you have just run one I would advise using the File | Reset before attempting to load another.
- Please remember this is not fully stable code yet and some titles do not run, others have a tendancy to crash the emu. I am working like crazy to knock down all the issues.
- Please send me feedback on specific issues so that I can improve your experience of Jagulator.

Update #1: I am putting the finishing touches to the basic GUI for Jagulator and will start testing this evening prior to a release. During some seperate testing it seems that 2.0.2 is now starting to run further games, although not all playable, this is progress. I have updated the screenshots on the status page with the newly working titles. Head on over to the status page !!!
http://www.emucr.com/2011/06/jagulator-v202.html

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