This is a brilliant move for both brands. That said, what is Activision thinking?? They've broken one of the most sacrosanct rules for publishers in game advertising: "Don't let an advertiser endanger your bottom line."
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Little Games, Big Engagement 
Posted by Shankar Gupta on Sep 23, 10:45 AM
One of the challenges brands often face when they look at getting into gaming is cost and time. Concepting a game people will actually play takes a great deal of time and specialized skills. But sometimes, the simplest games can engage thousands of people if the right circumstances come together.
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'Free' And 'Ads' Get A Divorce 
Posted by Josh Lovison on Sep 2, 3:15 PM
The F2P model relies on providing a large introductory portion of a game to users for free, and assumes that if the game is fun/addicting enough, players will be willing to pay after an initial investment of time. This works on a number of psychological principles related to loss aversion and cognitive dissonance. In short, it's extremely potent and effective.
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Let's All Go F2P  
Posted by Shankar Gupta on Aug 26, 2:23 PM
Free to Play, F2P, Freemium - however you describe it, the business model where consumers get the cow for free, but they need to pay for the milk, the bucket, the stool and the barn, is taking over the Games category of the iTunes app store, as well as the world of online PC gaming.
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This Week In Gaming 
Posted by Josh Lovison on Aug 5, 4:30 PM
A few big news items in the past week for gaming: HBO Go is coming to consoles, 3D isn't having a good week, and Diablo III news raises questions for virtual goods.
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Can Brands And Indie Games Play Nice?  
Posted by Shankar Gupta on Jul 29, 2:45 PM
In roughly two days, independent game studio Addo Games will close out a funding drive for their iPad game in development, "Robots Love Ice Cream" -- a game paid for largely by fan donations through Kickstarter.

Currently, the project is underfunded by about $8,000, but after being featured on sites like Destructoid.com, Wired.com, and others, it seems like it might have an influx of last-minute donations to take its developers over the finish line.
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EA Buys Popcap 
Posted by Josh Lovison on Jul 22, 3:46 PM
EA went ahead and acquired Popcap, a move that has been rumored for weeks. This is a major development, and points to a broader gamble by EA.
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'CivWorld' And Its Less-Than-Auspicious Launch 
Posted by Shankar Gupta on Jul 15, 3:30 PM
"CivWorld," a social game based on the storied "Civilization" franchise, is not exactly tearing up the charts. According to AppData, two weeks after its launch, "CivWorld" has a little under 300,000 active users -- not a small number of people, but it's just not in the same ballpark as Zynga's titles. Why is that?
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