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Some Christmas '07 Thoughts!
Santa and his reindeer seem to show up earlier every year, or at least that is how it seems to this f@#$%*& old guy.
But although the years seem shorter, when you look back on each one -- as all of us have a tendency to do at this time of year -- it does seem pretty amazing how much gets done in a year's time.
2007 was a great year for independent developers in general as more platforms solidified their position in the marketplace and generated the publisher confidence necessary to drive more development projects. At the same time, digital distribution allowed some developers to pull down publisher-sized royalty streams, and some of those same developers who said they would never sell were sucked into the acquisition vortex.
Sure, some smaller publishers complain that the manufacturing vig they have to pay to Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo makes it nearly impossible for them to make money, but the looming head-to-head war between EA and Activision Blizzard will, if anything, leave even more room in the market for smaller solid performers who don't need to swing at the big green monster on every project they produce.
It's the players themselves who are making this possible, because total sales show no signs of faltering and there were more million-unit-selling games in the last 12 months than in any other year in our history, and more 250,000-unit-sales as well, which is where many, many of us pay our bills.
From a developer's point of view, not many $15-million development budgets recoup and generate extra profits, but a lot of $5-million-and-under budgets have a good shot at it as long as you cut the right deal with the right partner.
Reminiscing is nice, and hindsight is generally pretty good, but the other thing that a lot of us do at this time of year is to take the downtime from mid-December to mid-January to think about what it all means for next year. That's where things can get pretty interesting …
Click here to read the full article »
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Location: Petaluma, California
Focus: Supplier of corporate apparel and gifts for new product launches, conferences, and special events.
Facts: Focuses on branding on custom merchandise products, including such featured products as laptop bags, USB drives, and short-sleeve performance T-shirts.
If ever there was the perfect time to get in touch with IPG, it's now, at budget time, when publishers are thinking ahead to the new year and how much they intend to spend on promoting their latest and greatest games, especially at trade shows.
Ray Decker is a co-owner of the five-year-old company that creates and supplies promotional branded custom merchandise, like the t-shirts and other tchotchkes that everyone enjoys so much.
IPG supports the banking sector, construction, healthcare, education, and software companies outside of gaming. But now the big news is that IPG is poised to service the videogames industry as well, which is why he's partnering with FOG Studios.
The company has just launched its updated Web site with its informational flash virtual download that speaks to what IPG can do for publishers and others in the gaming field.
Promotional products are a type of media that people remember longer than they do any other standard form of media, says Decker. “When you see advertising on a billboard, you glance at it, and you move on,” he notes. “But if your product is on, say, a t-shirt, we find that most people remember where they got it from. But you need to have the right promotional item that people will use and not throw away. That's where IPG can help. We are an agency that partners with our clients to provide the right solutions that support their marketing objectives.”
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Matahari Studios' “Dino Duel Masters” wins Indonesian ICT Award.
Matahari Studios, the game development arm of LAI Games with studios in Jakarta, Indonesia and Manila, Philippines, won the Indonesian ICT Awards 2007 in the entertainment-games category with its new 3-D game “Dino Duel Masters.” The award-winning title is a dinosaur fighting game played in combination with a collectible card series.
“Our game development team showed that they can compete against the very best in the games industry and we accept the award in recognition of their creativity, design, and programming skills,” says Damien Wieman, Matahari's general manager.
For immediate assistance, contact Adam Spencer.
“Jenga World Tour” ships for the Nintendo DS and Wii.
“Jenga World Tour,” based on the world-famous wooden block tower-building game, has shipped to stores nationwide in North America for the Nintendo DS and Wii consoles. Licensed by Pokonobe Associates and developed by Atomic Planet, the game is designed to make the most of the two platforms' innovative control systems. Players of the Wii version can get physical with the Wii Remote and Nunchuk controllers as they battle to keep the Jenga tower from falling, while on the DS the touchscreen provides equally intuitive control of the fast-paced action. The “E”-rated game offers unpredictable, quick-paced, tactical play that combines suspense and risk-taking.
Click here for the full story.
For immediate assistance, contact Adam Spencer.
Anino Games nominated in 2007 International Mobile Gaming Awards.
Two mobile game concepts submitted by Anino Games were nominated in the 2007 International Mobile Gaming Awards:
- “Deep Interactive Pursuit” (DiP) is a colorful, underwater, platform-adventure game with an innovative camera-based control. You play as Sid, a shapeless blob with a dream of finding his true form. DIP has been nominated in the “best casual game” category.
- “Ghosts In The Machine” is a 3D, physics-based, puzzle game. Players must assemble complex machines to fulfill level goals. The game has been nominated in the “excellence in gameplay” category.
The International Mobile Gaming Awards is an annual competition for the most innovative and creative mobile games in the world. Last year, Anino's “Anima Wars” won in the “best use of connectivity” category.
For immediate assistance, contact Adam Spencer.
Cauldron's “History Channel: Battle For The Pacific” releases.
"History Channel" Battle For The Pacific" has hit store shelves just in time for the holidays. Creative storytelling from developer Cauldron allows players to relive epic land battles fought on some of the most brutal and unforgiving battlefields in recorded history. Play through the eyes of an American GI as you experience intense, no-holds-barred action against an opponent for which surrender isn't an option. Fire authentic Allied and Axis weaponry, including submachine guns, sniper rifles, anti-aircraft guns, pistols, and grenades. Each level begins with a documentary video featuring actual battle footage, key facts, and statistics.
Click here for complete story.
For immediate assistance, contact Adam Spencer.
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FOG will be at all these industry events. Click here to set up an appointment.
February 6-8
D.I.C.E. Summit 2008
Las Vegas, Nevada
www.dicesummit.org/
February 11-14
GSMA Mobile World Congress
Barcelona, Spain
www.mobileworldcongress.com
February 18-22
2008 Game Developers Conference (GDC)
San Francisco, California
www.gdconf.com/
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Ping us by clicking on the appropriate link. We are currently looking for the following:
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FOG Studios, the leading agency for interactive rights since 1979, helps:
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Independent developers find publishing partners and other avenues to market. |
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IP owners maximize their return when licensing in the interactive marketplace. |
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Publishers develop relationships with world-class brands and top developers. |
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A Friend Of FOG
Increasingly, the computer games software industry recognizes the need for timely and conclusive royalty reviews. Media Forensics was formed by industry-experienced professionals specifically to enhance the royalty process on behalf of game developers.
Boasting a 100% success rate on behalf of its accounts, Media Forensics is an indispensable resource to the interactive community and, as such, is a Friend of FOG. |
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For more information on a specific opportunity, click on the appropriate link: |
| Impossible |
Warlords Castle for mobile. |
| Glyphic Entertainment |
Warlords DS for Nintendo DS. |
| Glyphic Entertainment |
Geometrix for Nintendo DS. |
| Santa Cruz Games |
Hooked! for Nintendo DS. |
| Skalden Studios |
Bubbins for Nintendo DS and Wii, XBLA, PSN, and mobile. |
| Cauldron |
Revolution for PC, PS3, and X360. |
| High Voltage |
Roller Derby for PC, PS3, and X360. |
| Velvetelvis Studios |
Kick-ass Girl for mobile and Nintendo DS; worldwide rights. |
| Anino Games |
Jakers! Piggley’s Summer Adventure for Nintendo DS; worldwide rights. |
| Nibris |
Raid Over The River for Nintendo DS; worldwide rights. |
| Nibris |
Double Bloob for PC, XBLA, and Nintendo DS; worldwide rights. |
This is not a complete listing of the opportunities available through FOG Studios. To request more information on any of the featured opportunities, discuss other opportunities exclusively represented by FOG Studios, or to determine the availability of any of our Developer or Service Provider Clients for your upcoming projects, please click here.
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Imagine Promotional Group (IPG)