Angry Birds Nets New Attack Eagle, Revenue Stream

LONDON--The creator of the popular Angry Birds game for mobile devices is adding a new character--and new profit-making potential along with it.

Rovio Mobile currently offers a limited free version of the game and a constant series of new levels to those who pay for Angry Birds. The new character, an all-powerful bird called the Mighty Eagle, can be bought within the application when players want to blast their way through a level they can't pass with the conventional arsenal, said Rovio CEO Mikael Hed, speaking here at the Nokia World conference.

That means even those who've paid for the application will get an opportunity to pay more. The approach is similar in games such as Zynga's FarmVille, in which people can spend money to advance more quickly than with the free version.

"The key point from a business perspective is that the Mighty Eagle is declaring the end of games as a commodity and the beginning of games as a service," Hed said. To use it, a mobile phone's software and application store needs the ability to let people make purchases from within the game.

"In-app [purchasing] capabilities provide a remarkable opportunity to provide extraordinary content to our most engaged customers," Hed said. Nokia just added that ability to its Ovi store for applications.

Rovio intends the Mighty Eagle is to be used by players frustrated with their inability to advance. The Angry Birds plot line (prepare to suspend a little disbelief here) involves birds with various destructive attributes trying to demolish structures built by greedy pigs. The player uses a slingshot to shoot the birds.

The Mighty Eagle, summoned with a can of fish, obliterates a tricky structure.



"The Mighty Eagle is truly a silver bullet to solve all your problems in one shot," Hed said. It "can be used to clear any one level instantly. If you wish to use it later in the game, you must clear [the earlier level destroyed with the eagle] using the standard selection of birds."

If you're really into the narrative structure, check out Rovio's Mighty Eagle video.
Angry Birds is available on Nokia N900 devices, which use the Linux-based Maemo 5 OS. The game is also found on Apple iOS products and WebOS devices and is in beta testing for Android devices. It will be available later this year for phones with the Symbian operating system, Hed said.

Apple Game Center Snubs iPhone 3G, First iPod Touch

Apple's Game Center, a new social-gaming platform for the iPhone and iPod Touch, will rely upon the masses to be successful.

But some of Apple's longest iOS users apparently won't be invited to join the fun.

Game Center is due to arrive with Apple's iOS 4.1, which may be released as early as Wednesday. Apple already has a Game Center page up, though, and it lists all of the iOS 4.1 devices compatible with Game Center. That list includes the iPhone 4, the iPhone 3GS, and the last three generations of the iPod Touch. However, the iPhone 3G and all first-generation iPhones and iPod Touch devices apparently will not work with Game Center.

So far, Apple has not offered an explanation for leaving the iPhone 3G out of Game Center. The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Game Center will be available only on devices running iOS 4.1. The service allows gamers to play titles with others, track achievements, and discover games that friends are playing.

Microsoft Unveils New Xbox 360 Controller

Microsoft plans to release a new Xbox 360 controller in November that features a transforming D-pad, the company announced Tuesday.

The first difference users will find with the new wireless controller is its design. Instead of a white finish with multicolored buttons, the new controller sports a gray and black finish. All the buttons are now different tones of gray.

But it's the new D-pad that will likely attract some users.

According to "Major Nelson," Microsoft's director of programming for Xbox Live who first unveiled the new controller in a blog post and video, users "are not big fans of the D-pad" on the Xbox 360 controller. To address the issue, Microsoft will now let Xbox 360 owners twist the D-pad's disc to make it more appealing to gamers. At one position, the D-pad will be nearly flush with the disc behind it. After twisting it, the D-pad is raised much higher, making it more usable for gamers.

Aside from that, the Xbox 360 wireless controller performs and works exactly the same way; the update is designed solely to give users a better D-pad.

The new Xbox 360 wireless controller will be available on November 9. It will only be offered in a bundle with Microsoft's Play and Charge kit and will retail for $64.99.


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EA Stands By Medal Of Honor Taliban Feature

Electronic Arts isn't wavering in its support of game developer DICE's decision to let gamers play as Taliban members in the upcoming Medal of Honor.

"At EA we passionately believe games are an artform, and I don't know why films and books set in Afghanistan don't get flack, yet [games] do," EA Games President Frank Gibeau told game developer publication Develop Online this week. "Whether it's 'Red Badge of Courage' or 'The Hurt Locker,' the media of its time can be a platform for the people who wish to tell their stories. Games are becoming that platform."

Gibeau acknowledged that allowing gamers to play as a Taliban solider is a "creative risk," but he won't allow media outcry to "compromise our creative vision and what we want to do."

That outcry has been gaining steam as of late. Earlier this week, U.K. Defense Secretary Liam Fox took aim at the new Medal of Honor title in an interview with the U.K.'s Sunday Times. He said that retailers should "show their support for the armed forces" and not sell the title. He went on to say that "it's shocking that someone would think it acceptable to recreate the acts of the Taliban."

EA, which is publishing Medal of Honor, isn't breaking new ground with its desire to push the envelope of war gameplay. Last year, Konami found itself embroiled in a similar debate over Six Days in Fallujah. The company opted against publishing the game after critics took issue with the title being based on such a recent event--the infamous 2004 battle in Iraq. Critics have the same issue with Medal of Honor.

But to some extent, EA believes those critics should understand the franchise they're taking aim at. As Gibeau pointed out in his interview with Develop Online, the Medal of Honor franchise has always been set in war zones.

"That's always been a Medal of Honor concept--we put you in the boots of a solider, whether it's in the Pacific, Europe, Afghanistan; it's always been the story of the solider," he told Develop Online.

Medal of Honor is scheduled to launch on October 12 for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC.

Microsoft Details Windows Phone Game Plan

Microsoft announced late Monday the first wave of Xbox Live games that will be made available for Windows Phone 7 when the first smartphones running the new operating system hit the market later this year.

Although games are just one part of Microsoft's app strategy when it comes to Windows Phone, Redmond is counting on games--and Xbox Live tie-in in particular, to be a key selling point for Windows Phone. The Windows Phone 7 devices will be the first products outside of a PC or the Xbox itself to connect to Xbox Live. Gamers will be able to see their Gamerscore, earn achievements, and play games that tie into the Xbox Live online service.

"We believe that no matter where life takes you, the best in gaming and entertainment should follow," Microsoft Xbox Live corporate VP Marc Whitten said in a statement. "Windows Phone 7 takes a different approach to handheld gaming, utilizing Xbox Live, Microsoft Game Studios, leading game publishers, and innovative indie developers, to create powerful, shared experiences for everyone."

To gear up for the phone, Microsoft has started staffing up for a mobile game studio. Microsoft said that among the titles that it will be releasing are companion games that tie into Halo: Waypoint and Crackdown 2.

"Windows Phone 7 is the launch of a major gaming platform for Microsoft," said Matt Booty, general manager of mobile gaming for Microsoft Game Studios (MGS). "Just like we've done with Xbox 360, our charter is to push the envelope and deliver definitive games that maximize the platform. We will have an incredible lineup of MGS titles, and that's just the beginning."

We're planning to get a chance to see some of the games in action on Tuesday. In the mean time, Engadget appears to have gotten an earlier look.

Here is the list of Xbox Live titles coming to Windows Phone 7, with their publishers in parenthesis.

3D Brick Breaker Revolution (Digital Chocolate)
Age of Zombies (Halfbrick)
Armor Valley (Protege Games)
Asphalt 5 (Gameloft)
Assassins Creed (Gameloft)
Bejeweled Live (PopCap)
Bloons TD (Digital Goldfish)
Brain Challenge (Gameloft)
Bubble Town 2 (i-Play)
Butterfly (PressStart Studio)
CarneyVale Showtime (MGS)
Castlevania (Konami Digital Entertainment)
Crackdown 2: Project Sunburst (MGS)
De Blob Revolution (THQ)
Deal or No Deal 2010" (i-Play)
Earthworm Jim (Gameloft)
Fast & Furious 7 (i-Play)
Fight Game Rivals (Rough Cookie)
Finger Physics (Mobliss Inc.)
Flight Control (Namco Bandai)
Flowerz (Carbonated Games)
Frogger (Konami Digital Entertainment)
Fruit Ninja (Halfbrick)
Game Chest-Board (MGS)
Game Chest-Card (MGS)
Game Chest-Logic (MGS)
Game Chest-Solitaire (MGS)
GeoDefense (Critical Thought)
Ghostscape (Psionic)
Glow Artisan (Powerhead Games)
Glyder 2 (Glu Mobile)
Guitar Hero 5 (Glu Mobile)
Halo Waypoint (MGS)
Hexic Rush (Carbonated Games)
I Dig It (InMotion)
iBlast Moki (Godzilab)
ilomilo (MGS)
Implode XL (IUGO)
Iquarium (Infinite Dreams)
Jet Car Stunts (True Axis)
Let's Golf 2 (Gameloft)
Little Wheel (One click dog)
Loondon (Flip N Tale)
Max and the Magic Marker (PressPlay)
Mini Squadron (Supermono Limited)
More Brain Exercise (Namco Bandai)
O.M.G. (Arkedo)
Puzzle Quest 2 (Namco Bandai)
Real Soccer 2 (Gameloft)
The Revenants (Chaotic Moon)
Rise of Glory (Revo Solutions)
Rocket Riot (Codeglue)
Splinter Cell Conviction (Gameloft)
Star Wars: Battle for Hoth (THQ)
Star Wars: Cantina (THQ)
The Harvest (MGS)
The Oregon Trail (Gameloft)
Tower Bloxx NY (Digital Chocolate)
Twin Blades (Press Start Studio)
UNO (Gameloft)
Women's Murder Club: Death in Scarlet (i-Play)
Zombie Attack! (IUGO
Zombies!!!! (Babaroga)

Shippin' Out August 8-14: Madden NFL 11

The 2010 NFL season debuts early next month in New Orleans, but EA Sports tackles the living room this week with the latest edition of its flagship Madden series. The football title is easily the most prominent of the week, but it shares the stage with the next entry in Microsoft's Summer of Arcade promotion and a Scott Pilgrim vs. The World tie-in.


Snow in August? It's in the game.
Spearheading the retail week is Madden NFL 11 for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, and Nintendo Wii. The title arrives Tuesday, August 10, and packs in a number of changes from its 2010 counterpart. EA has told gamers to expect better animations, new team-specific chants, and Gus Johnson play-by-play in the 2011 version.

Also arriving this week is Uber Entertainment's Xbox Live-exclusive Monday Night Combat. The third-person, class-based shooter blends fast-paced combat with the presentation style of a television program. The title is the fourth in Microsoft's five-game Summer of Arcade promotion, which culminates next week with Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light.

The epic of epic epicness, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World starring Michael Cera, hits theaters August 13, and a video game tie-in is coming too. The game of the same name is due out August 10 on PSN and is a four-player offline brawler that takes the premise of the original comics and combines it with side-scrolling action and 8-bit-inspired pixel art by renowned pixel artist Paul Robertson.

For further details on the week's games, visit GameSpot's New Releases page. The full list of downloadable games on the PlayStation Store, Xbox Live Marketplace, and the Wii Shop Channel will be revealed later this week. Release dates are based on retailer listings and are subject to change.

GameStop: Game Discs Are Here To Stay

Downloadable content might be all the rage in the gaming business right now, but GameStop expects game discs will still win out, at least for the foreseeable future.

Shawn Freeman, GameStop's digital-business manager, told IGN that his company believes "a ton of advancement" is on its way for the gaming business, thanks to motion gaming and 3D technology. And as those advancements arrive, physical media will still play a big role.

"We still see a lot of growth on that side and will require, I still think, physical delivery for quite a while as that technology continues to outstrip advances in bandwidth and storage," Freeman said.

But that doesn't mean that downloadable and streaming content aren't coming. Services like Valve's Steam continue to gain ground in the space. In fact, Steam currently has more than 1,100 titles available to play. And with the advent of streaming services like OnLive or Gaikai, it's quickly becoming clear that the market is shifting away from the DVD or the Blu-ray disc and toward streaming and downloadable games. Exactly when the official changeover will occur is anyone's guess. But it seems more likely than ever.

Further reading: Understanding next-gen streaming game services