MKTG

A unique campaign helped to raise awareness of the company’s new line of televisions.

We consider some of the common traits around brands and services that seem to tap into game mechanics.

Starbucks boldly checks-in where no brand has checked in before with a nation wide promotion using location-based MoSoSo player, FourSquare, in which mayors of their respective stores can unlock codes to get $1 off a Frappuccino. Overall, kudos to this…

Today’s video games tap into who we are as people, and into the existing systems of our world. Kill Screen Magazine strives to explore these ideas of human behavior, aiming to reach a more mature demographic.

A classic video game is played out in reality.

SCVNGR (pronounced scavenger) launched a new set of features and mobile applications on Thursday allowing consumers to create location-based games on a mobile phone.

“It’s like a giant iPhone, except without the Phone,” is probably not that an inaccurate description of the much hyped and it must be said, initially fairly criticized device. That of course was before it came out. About 300,000 people…

Naveen Selvadurai, co-founder of Fourquare, discusses what he’s learned in growing his gamechanging location-based social application, and how he sees it improving the way we navigate our daily lives.

How can content producers create seamless social TV experiences?

Armchair Revolutionary seeks to build global support for science and technology projects through 99-cent donations. Can it work?

This summer, the iPhone and iPod touch will get an operating system update (iPhone OS 4.0) that will include a new service called the Game Center. The service will launch on the iPad this fall, too.

The Game Center will resemble Microsoft’s Xbox Live and Sony’s PlayStation Network with leaderboards, matchmaking, achievements, friend lists and invitations to folks who make and play games.

Don’t brush this off as a minor item in Apple’s update notes; Steve Jobs included it as a major “tentpost” alongside multitasking and folders during the iPhone OS 4.0 announcement for a reason. It’s the biggest development in mobile gaming in several years, and we expect it will be a success with both game makers and game players.

Here are three reasons we believe the Game Center is a big deal. Do you agree or disagree with us? Let us know in the comments.

1. No One Has Pulled This Off Before (On Mobile)

Microsoft’s Xbox Live for the Xbox 360 is the standard-bearer when it comes to social gaming services, along with its less popular Games for Windows Live network for PC gamers. Sony’s PlayStation 3 has the PlayStation Network, which is similar in functionality; it covers all the bases well enough but most gamers believe it’s not as well realized as Xbox Live. The popular PC game distribution service Steam (soon to hit Macs, too) also has the same features as Apple’s Game Center.

However, Game Center is likely to be the first successful service of its type on any mobile platform.

Sony’s PSP offers a watered-down version of the PlayStation 3’s PlayStation Network that lacks some of those features, Nintendo’s DS lacks anything even remotely similar, and Microsoft — the current leader of online gaming services — doesn’t offer a portable gaming device yet. We say “yet” because Xbox Live integration of some kind will be a feature of the Windows Phone 7 platform that will launch later this year.

Third party networks like OpenFeint and Gameloft Live have attempted to do this on the iPhone OS before, but they only reached a small number of users. The fact that Apple’s Game Center is built into the iPhone OS 4.0 development tools will make it the de facto choice for iPhone OS game developers and players.

2. It’s Xbox Live for Mainstream Game Players

Game Center is also notable because it brings those social gaming tools to a new crowd of nontraditional and casual gamers. Microsoft has made some progress down that road itself; while Xbox Live was originally designed for hardcore competitive games like Halo, over the past couple years it has become a mainstay in family friendly casual games on the Xbox Live Arcade.

But the Xbox 360’s most significant successes are still in the realm of traditional gaming: fiercely competitive multiplayer matches, expensive and elaborate graphical presentations and complicated game play mechanics. The iPhone is home to games of both types, but it’s skewed towards titles that are light and not very time consuming; compared to the Xbox 360, it has more games like Plants and Zombies and fewer like Gears of War.

Gamers of that type aren’t as accustomed to these features. They’re more likely to play the Nintendo Wii than the Xbox 360, and the Wii’s online features are limited by comparison. We expect Game Center to be a hit with this crowd, though.

3. It Will Be Available to Small, Independent Game Makers

There’s a rigorous approval process to get a game on the Xbox Live Arcade or the PlayStation Network. Most small, garage-dwelling game developers can’t make the cut, and while the web and PCs offer independent developers ways to show off and monetize their work, there’s no unified social gaming system that they can use.

Apple’s Game Center is the first Xbox Live-like social gaming service available to any small team or individual that makes games out of passion. That means these features will be included in innovative new games from creative people who can afford to experiment. Expect surprising and fun applications and innovations that you haven’t seen on other gaming platforms.

The iPhone OS is a frontier environment where you never know what the next gaming hit will be. We’ve never seen these social features exist in a frontier like that before, so it will be interesting to see what people will do with them.

For more mobile coverage, follow Mashable Mobile on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook

Reviews: Facebook, Twitter, Windows Phone 7

Tags: achievements, apple, gaming, gaming center, ipad, iphone, iphone os 4.0, iPod Touch, online gaming, video games, XBox live

This summer, the iPhone and iPod touch will get an operating system update (iPhone OS 4.0) that will include a new service called the Game Center. The service will launch on the iPad this fall, too.

The Game Center will resemble Microsoft’s Xbox Live and Sony’s PlayStation Network with leaderboards, matchmaking, achievements, friend lists and invitations to folks who make and play games.

Don’t brush this off as a minor item in Apple’s update notes; Steve Jobs included it as a major “tentpost” alongside multitasking and folders during the iPhone OS 4.0 announcement for a reason. It’s the biggest development in mobile gaming in several years, and we expect it will be a success with both game makers and game players.

Here are three reasons we believe the Game Center is a big deal. Do you agree or disagree with us? Let us know in the comments.

1. No One Has Pulled This Off Before (On Mobile)

Microsoft’s Xbox Live for the Xbox 360 is the standard-bearer when it comes to social gaming services, along with its less popular Games for Windows Live network for PC gamers. Sony’s PlayStation 3 has the PlayStation Network, which is similar in functionality; it covers all the bases well enough but most gamers believe it’s not as well realized as Xbox Live. The popular PC game distribution service Steam (soon to hit Macs, too) also has the same features as Apple’s Game Center.

However, Game Center is likely to be the first successful service of its type on any mobile platform.

Sony’s PSP offers a watered-down version of the PlayStation 3’s PlayStation Network that lacks some of those features, Nintendo’s DS lacks anything even remotely similar, and Microsoft — the current leader of online gaming services — doesn’t offer a portable gaming device yet. We say “yet” because Xbox Live integration of some kind will be a feature of the Windows Phone 7 platform that will launch later this year.

Third party networks like OpenFeint and Gameloft Live have attempted to do this on the iPhone OS before, but they only reached a small number of users. The fact that Apple’s Game Center is built into the iPhone OS 4.0 development tools will make it the de facto choice for iPhone OS game developers and players.

2. It’s Xbox Live for Mainstream Game Players

Game Center is also notable because it brings those social gaming tools to a new crowd of nontraditional and casual gamers. Microsoft has made some progress down that road itself; while Xbox Live was originally designed for hardcore competitive games like Halo, over the past couple years it has become a mainstay in family friendly casual games on the Xbox Live Arcade.

But the Xbox 360’s most significant successes are still in the realm of traditional gaming: fiercely competitive multiplayer matches, expensive and elaborate graphical presentations and complicated game play mechanics. The iPhone is home to games of both types, but it’s skewed towards titles that are light and not very time consuming; compared to the Xbox 360, it has more games like Plants and Zombies and fewer like Gears of War.

Gamers of that type aren’t as accustomed to these features. They’re more likely to play the Nintendo Wii than the Xbox 360, and the Wii’s online features are limited by comparison. We expect Game Center to be a hit with this crowd, though.

3. It Will Be Available to Small, Independent Game Makers

There’s a rigorous approval process to get a game on the Xbox Live Arcade or the PlayStation Network. Most small, garage-dwelling game developers can’t make the cut, and while the web and PCs offer independent developers ways to show off and monetize their work, there’s no unified social gaming system that they can use.

Apple’s Game Center is the first Xbox Live-like social gaming service available to any small team or individual that makes games out of passion. That means these features will be included in innovative new games from creative people who can afford to experiment. Expect surprising and fun applications and innovations that you haven’t seen on other gaming platforms.

The iPhone OS is a frontier environment where you never know what the next gaming hit will be. We’ve never seen these social features exist in a frontier like that before, so it will be interesting to see what people will do with them.

For more mobile coverage, follow Mashable Mobile on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook

Tags: achievements, apple, gaming, gaming center, ipad, iphone, iphone os 4.0, iPod Touch, online gaming, video games, XBox live

This summer, the iPhone and iPod touch will get an operating system update (iPhone OS 4.0) that will include a new service called the Game Center. The service will launch on the iPad this fall, too.

The Game Center will resemble Microsoft’s Xbox Live and Sony’s PlayStation Network with leaderboards, matchmaking, achievements, friend lists and invitations to folks who make and play games.

Don’t brush this off as a minor item in Apple’s update notes; Steve Jobs included it as a major “tentpost” alongside multitasking and folders during the iPhone OS 4.0 announcement for a reason. It’s the biggest development in mobile gaming in several years, and we expect it will be a success with both game makers and game players.

Here are three reasons we believe the Game Center is a big deal. Do you agree or disagree with us? Let us know in the comments.

1. No One Has Pulled This Off Before (On Mobile)

Microsoft’s Xbox Live for the Xbox 360 is the standard-bearer when it comes to social gaming services, along with its less popular Games for Windows Live network for PC gamers. Sony’s PlayStation 3 has the PlayStation Network, which is similar in functionality; it covers all the bases well enough but most gamers believe it’s not as well realized as Xbox Live. The popular PC game distribution service Steam (soon to hit Macs, too) also has the same features as Apple’s Game Center.

However, Game Center is likely to be the first successful service of its type on any mobile platform.

Sony’s PSP offers a watered-down version of the PlayStation 3’s PlayStation Network that lacks some of those features, Nintendo’s DS lacks anything even remotely similar, and Microsoft — the current leader of online gaming services — doesn’t offer a portable gaming device yet. We say “yet” because Xbox Live integration of some kind will be a feature of the Windows Phone 7 platform that will launch later this year.

Third party networks like OpenFeint and Gameloft Live have attempted to do this on the iPhone OS before, but they only reached a small number of users. The fact that Apple’s Game Center is built into the iPhone OS 4.0 development tools will make it the de facto choice for iPhone OS game developers and players.

2. It’s Xbox Live for Mainstream Game Players

Game Center is also notable because it brings those social gaming tools to a new crowd of nontraditional and casual gamers. Microsoft has made some progress down that road itself; while Xbox Live was originally designed for hardcore competitive games like Halo, over the past couple years it has become a mainstay in family friendly casual games on the Xbox Live Arcade.

But the Xbox 360’s most significant successes are still in the realm of traditional gaming: fiercely competitive multiplayer matches, expensive and elaborate graphical presentations and complicated game play mechanics. The iPhone is home to games of both types, but it’s skewed towards titles that are light and not very time consuming; compared to the Xbox 360, it has more games like Plants and Zombies and fewer like Gears of War.

Gamers of that type aren’t as accustomed to these features. They’re more likely to play the Nintendo Wii than the Xbox 360, and the Wii’s online features are limited by comparison. We expect Game Center to be a hit with this crowd, though.

3. It Will Be Available to Small, Independent Game Makers

There’s a rigorous approval process to get a game on the Xbox Live Arcade or the PlayStation Network. Most small, garage-dwelling game developers can’t make the cut, and while the web and PCs offer independent developers ways to show off and monetize their work, there’s no unified social gaming system that they can use.

Apple’s Game Center is the first Xbox Live-like social gaming service available to any small team or individual that makes games out of passion. That means these features will be included in innovative new games from creative people who can afford to experiment. Expect surprising and fun applications and innovations that you haven’t seen on other gaming platforms.

The iPhone OS is a frontier environment where you never know what the next gaming hit will be. We’ve never seen these social features exist in a frontier like that before, so it will be interesting to see what people will do with them.

For more mobile coverage, follow Mashable Mobile on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook

Tags: achievements, apple, gaming, gaming center, ipad, iphone, iphone os 4.0, iPod Touch, online gaming, video games, XBox live

This summer, the iPhone and iPod touch will get an operating system update (iPhone OS 4.0) that will include a new service called the Game Center. The service will launch on the iPad this fall, too.

The Game Center will resemble Microsoft’s Xbox Live and Sony’s PlayStation Network with leaderboards, matchmaking, achievements, friend lists and invitations to folks who make and play games.

Don’t brush this off as a minor item in Apple’s update notes; Steve Jobs included it as a major “tentpost” alongside multitasking and folders during the iPhone OS 4.0 announcement for a reason. It’s the biggest development in mobile gaming in several years, and we expect it will be a success with both game makers and game players.

Here are three reasons we believe the Game Center is a big deal. Do you agree or disagree with us? Let us know in the comments.

1. No One Has Pulled This Off Before (On Mobile)

Microsoft’s Xbox Live for the Xbox 360 is the standard-bearer when it comes to social gaming services, along with its less popular Games for Windows Live network for PC gamers. Sony’s PlayStation 3 has the PlayStation Network, which is similar in functionality; it covers all the bases well enough but most gamers believe it’s not as well realized as Xbox Live. The popular PC game distribution service Steam (soon to hit Macs, too) also has the same features as Apple’s Game Center.

However, Game Center is likely to be the first successful service of its type on any mobile platform.

Sony’s PSP offers a watered-down version of the PlayStation 3’s PlayStation Network that lacks some of those features, Nintendo’s DS lacks anything even remotely similar, and Microsoft — the current leader of online gaming services — doesn’t offer a portable gaming device yet. We say “yet” because Xbox Live integration of some kind will be a feature of the Windows Phone 7 platform that will launch later this year.

Third party networks like OpenFeint and Gameloft Live have attempted to do this on the iPhone OS before, but they only reached a small number of users. The fact that Apple’s Game Center is built into the iPhone OS 4.0 development tools will make it the de facto choice for iPhone OS game developers and players.

2. It’s Xbox Live for Mainstream Game Players

Game Center is also notable because it brings those social gaming tools to a new crowd of nontraditional and casual gamers. Microsoft has made some progress down that road itself; while Xbox Live was originally designed for hardcore competitive games like Halo, over the past couple years it has become a mainstay in family friendly casual games on the Xbox Live Arcade.

But the Xbox 360’s most significant successes are still in the realm of traditional gaming: fiercely competitive multiplayer matches, expensive and elaborate graphical presentations and complicated game play mechanics. The iPhone is home to games of both types, but it’s skewed towards titles that are light and not very time consuming; compared to the Xbox 360, it has more games like Plants and Zombies and fewer like Gears of War.

Gamers of that type aren’t as accustomed to these features. They’re more likely to play the Nintendo Wii than the Xbox 360, and the Wii’s online features are limited by comparison. We expect Game Center to be a hit with this crowd, though.

3. It Will Be Available to Small, Independent Game Makers

There’s a rigorous approval process to get a game on the Xbox Live Arcade or the PlayStation Network. Most small, garage-dwelling game developers can’t make the cut, and while the web and PCs offer independent developers ways to show off and monetize their work, there’s no unified social gaming system that they can use.

Apple’s Game Center is the first Xbox Live-like social gaming service available to any small team or individual that makes games out of passion. That means these features will be included in innovative new games from creative people who can afford to experiment. Expect surprising and fun applications and innovations that you haven’t seen on other gaming platforms.

The iPhone OS is a frontier environment where you never know what the next gaming hit will be. We’ve never seen these social features exist in a frontier like that before, so it will be interesting to see what people will do with them.

For more mobile coverage, follow Mashable Mobile on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook

Tags: achievements, apple, gaming, gaming center, ipad, iphone, iphone os 4.0, iPod Touch, online gaming, video games, XBox live

Oh dear — looks like it’s time to add FarmVille to the list of internet addiction scares after a 12-year-old UK boy amassed £905 in FarmVille debt. About £288 of that came from the boy’s own savings, while £625 was billed to his horrified mother’s credit card.

The debt — equivalent to about $1400 USD — was racked up in all of about two weeks’ worth of gameplay. In the popular casual Facebook game, players can spend real money to accrue virtual currency and items. It’s a business that’s booming enough to garner the game’s developer, Zynga, an estimated valuation as high as $5 billion.

Neither Zynga nor the mother’s credit card company HSBC responded positively to requests for refunds; the latter indicated only a criminal proceeding could trigger eligibility for getting the funds reinstated. A spokeswoman for HSBC indicated that had the expenditures been on a gambling site the escalating transactions would have raised warning flags, but since the purchases were technically Facebook Credits, they didn’t warrant suspicion.

What do you think: Is FarmVille destined to replace World of Warcraft as the favorite scapegoat for cable news gaming addiction scare segments?

[via Games.com]

For more entertainment coverage, follow Mashable Entertainment on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook

Reviews: Facebook, Twitter

Tags: casual games, debt, facebook, facebook credits, farmville, games, gaming, microtransactions, trending, virtual goods, Zynga

Oh dear — looks like it’s time to add FarmVille to the list of internet addiction scares after a 12-year-old UK boy has amassed £905 in FarmVille debt. About £288 of that came from the boy’s own savings, while £625 was billed to his horrified mother’s credit card.

The debt — which is equivalent to about $1400 USD — was racked up in all of about two weeks’ worth of gameplay. In the popular casual Facebook game, players can spend real money to accrue virtual currency and items. It’s a business that’s booming enough to garner the game’s developer Zynga an estimated valuation as high as $5 billion.

Neither Zynga or the mother’s credit card company HSBC responded positively to requests for refunds; the latter indicated only a criminal proceeding could trigger eligibility for getting the funds reinstated. A spokeswoman for HSBC indicated that had the expenditures been on a gambling site the escalating transactions would have raised warning flags, but since the purchases were technically Facebook Credits, they didn’t warrant suspicion.

What do you think: is FarmVille destined to replace World of Warcraft as the favorite scapegoat for cable news gaming addiction scare segments?

[via Games.com]

For more entertainment coverage, follow Mashable Entertainment on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook

Tags: casual games, debt, facebook, facebook credits, farmville, games, gaming, microtransactions, trending, virtual goods, Zynga

Oh dear — looks like it’s time to add FarmVille to the list of internet addiction scares after a 12-year-old UK boy has amassed £905 in FarmVille debt. About £288 of that came from the boy’s own savings, while £625 was billed to his horrified mother’s credit card.

The debt — which is equivalent to about $1400 USD — was racked up in all of about two weeks’ worth of gameplay. In the popular casual Facebook game, players can spend real money to accrue virtual currency and items. It’s a business that’s booming enough to garner the game’s developer Zynga an estimated valuation as high as $5 billion.

Neither Zynga or the mother’s credit card company HSBC responded positively to requests for refunds; the latter indicated only a criminal proceeding could trigger eligibility for getting the funds reinstated. A spokeswoman for HSBC indicated that had the expenditures been on a gambling site the escalating transactions would have raised warning flags, but since the purchases were technically Facebook Credits, they didn’t warrant suspicion.

What do you think: is FarmVille destined to replace World of Warcraft as the favorite scapegoat for cable news gaming addiction scare segments?

[via Games.com]

For more entertainment coverage, follow Mashable Entertainment on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook

Reviews: Facebook, Twitter

Tags: casual games, debt, facebook, facebook credits, farmville, games, gaming, microtransactions, trending, virtual goods, Zynga

Oh dear — looks like it’s time to add FarmVille to the list of internet addiction scares after a 12-year-old UK boy has amassed £905 in FarmVille debt. About £288 of that came from the boy’s own savings, while £625 was billed to his horrified mother’s credit card.

The debt — which is equivalent to about $1400 USD — was racked up in all of about two weeks’ worth of gameplay. In the popular casual Facebook game, players can spend real money to accrue virtual currency and items. It’s a business that’s booming enough to garner the game’s developer Zynga an estimated valuation as high as $5 billion.

Neither Zynga or the mother’s credit card company HSBC responded positively to requests for refunds; the latter indicated only a criminal proceeding could trigger eligibility for getting the funds reinstated. A spokeswoman for HSBC indicated that had the expenditures been on a gambling site the escalating transactions would have raised warning flags, but since the purchases were technically Facebook Credits, they didn’t warrant suspicion.

What do you think: is FarmVille destined to replace World of Warcraft as the favorite scapegoat for cable news gaming addiction scare segments?

[via Games.com]

For more entertainment coverage, follow Mashable Entertainment on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook

Reviews: Facebook, Twitter

Tags: casual games, debt, facebook, facebook credits, farmville, games, gaming, microtransactions, trending, virtual goods, Zynga

Cool Hunting has a slick new iPad App to easily read stories and videos by simply scrolling and swiping through all of their stories or by filtering by category.  One of the main reasons that I love this app is that they’ve taken the time to create a user experience that is optimized for [...]

Cool Hunting has a slick new iPad App to easily read stories and videos by simply scrolling and swiping through all of their stories or by filtering by category.  One of the main reasons that I love this app is that they’ve taken the time to create a user experience that is optimized for [...]

Cool Hunting has a slick new iPad App to easily read stories and videos by simply scrolling and swiping through all of their stories or by filtering by category.  One of the main reasons that I love this app is that they’ve taken the time to create a user experience that is optimized for [...]

Cool Hunting has a slick new iPad App to easily read stories and videos by simply scrolling and swiping through all of their stories or by filtering by category.  One of the main reasons that I love this app is that they’ve taken the time to create a user experience that is optimized for [...]

Cool Hunting has a slick new iPad App to easily read stories and videos by simply scrolling and swiping through all of their stories or by filtering by category.  One of the main reasons that I love this app is that they’ve taken the time to create a user experience that is optimized for [...]

Cool Hunting has a slick new iPad App to easily read stories and videos by simply scrolling and swiping through all of their stories or by filtering by category.  One of the main reasons that I love this app is that they’ve taken the time to create a user experience that is optimized for [...]

Cool Hunting has a slick new iPad App to easily read stories and videos by simply scrolling and swiping through all of their stories or by filtering by category.  One of the main reasons that I love this app is that they’ve taken the time to create a user experience that is optimized for [...]

Cool Hunting has a slick new iPad App to easily read stories and videos by simply scrolling and swiping through all of their stories or by filtering by category.  One of the main reasons that I love this app is that they’ve taken the time to create a user experience that is optimized for [...]

Cool Hunting has a slick new iPad App to easily read stories and videos by simply scrolling and swiping through all of their stories or by filtering by category.  One of the main reasons that I love this app is that they’ve taken the time to create a user experience that is optimized for [...]

Modern Warfare 2’s “Stimulus Package” map pack for the Xbox 360 went live today. However, frustrated gamers have found that Xbox Live is having issues that are preventing them from enjoying the new purchase.

Xbox Support’s Twitter account is loaded with communications with customers about the problem, and the official support website at www.xbox.com/support is being bombarded by users. The company line is currently: “We’re aware of the issue and it is being worked on. Stay tuned for updates.”

Microsoft hasn’t said if the intense rush of Modern Warfare 2 downloads and connections is responsible for the server issues, but folks trying to play the game are either simply unable to connect or getting error code 80150019, which is given to users when the console is unable to access their “gamertag” account information.

We’ll say something here when Microsoft has an update.

Update: The matchmaking issues have been resolved but the Marketplace is still having problems.

For more technology coverage, follow Mashable Tech on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook

Reviews: Facebook, Twitter

Tags: activision, call of duty modern warfare 2, DLC, downtime, gaming, microsoft, online games, stimulus package, video games, Xbox 360, XBox live

Nintendo is coming up with the 3DS line of handheld gaming consoles, which will have 3D effects without needing to wear special glasses.

Two for the price of zero: JJTV #84: JJTV #84 – SxSW sips with Steve Hall and Sarah Evans I like how this turned out. Think I’ll do more of these in the future at events like SxSW. Thanks @prsarahevans…