iPhone game developer Ngmoco raises second round of funding
The iPhone game publisher Ngmoco is announcing today that it has raised $10 million in a second round of funding — in its ninth month as a company.
The funding — led by Norwest Venture Partners and put together in a matter of weeks — shows how hot the iPhone game sector is and how the San Francisco company in particular is riding a wave of excitement. The company was founded by Electronic Arts executive Neil… Continue Reading
iPhone game developers rejoice at Apple’s latest update plans
There were a lot of happy game developers among the 200 or so people who attended Thursday’s iGames Summit in San Francisco, which was devoted to iPhone games.
Speakers at the summit, including game developers such as Tapulous, ngmoco, Booyah, Demiforce, Zynga and Social Gaming Network, were excited about Apple’s announcement that its iPhone 3.0 update, coming this summer, would have a number of game-friendly features: a virtual goods platform, Bluetooth multiplayer, and peer-to-peer connectivity.
With more… Continue Reading
GamesBeat 09: More great speakers lined up
As the March 24 GamesBeat 2009 games conference draws near, we’re unveiling a new list of speakers. We’re proud to say that some of the biggest names in the gaming world are joining us for the program. Tickets are still available.
Chris Taylor (right), founder of Gas Powered Games, will share the stage with me as co-emcee of the event. We picked Taylor because he has been an advocate for creativity in games and because he’s one… Continue Reading
Dean’s top ten family games of 2008
As always, my other top-ten games lists were chock full of the violent fare that I enjoy. But family games are big in my house too, so here’s my list of the best family games of 2008:
1. Wii Fit (Nintendo Wii) Nintendo. May 2008. Yes, this game made multiple lists, but for a good reason. It’s fun. Itgot gamers off their couches and running around in circles, jumping up and down, and trying to keep their… Continue Reading
MG’s 10 favorite iPhone games of 2008
Yesterday, I wrote up my 10 favorite iPhone apps of 2008 with a note that I wasn’t including any games on the list because there were far too many good ones and they should probably get their own list. Today, I bring you that list.
This was a tough one to narrow down to 10, I have nearly 40 games that I keep on my iPhone right now, and I wouldn’t keep anything on there that… Continue Reading
Rolando launches. The first truly great iPhone game?
There have been a lot of good games released for the iPhone and iPod touch since the the App Store launched this past July. And now, with more experienced developers like EA, that have plenty of money to throw at game development, coming to the platform, they’re getting even better. Tonight, one company that’s had some success with an iPhone-only gaming approach, Ngmoco, rolled out its newest game — the first one it thinks enough… Continue Reading
A slight tweak in the App Store promotes paid apps
Apple has a problem with the App Store — but it’s a problem many companies would love to have: It’s growing too quickly. What worked when there were only 500 applications doesn’t work as well when there are more than 10,000. Amid growing criticism that the App Store is catering to the lowest common denominator by highlighting applications in a way that the cheapest will be most popular, Apple has made a small tweak, AppleInsider… Continue Reading
Ngmoco’s Dropship has controls that are either innovative or frustrating
iPhone game development house ngmoco is continuing its rapid-fire rollout of games for the iPhone. The latest one is Dropship, a space-based shooter reminiscent of the old Starfox games for the Nintendo consoles. I think this is one of those games that people will either love or get frustrated with fast.
Unfortunately, I’m the latter.
The problem is with the controls. While most games in this genre on the iPhone and iPod touch use the device’s accelerometer… Continue Reading
Cut open your friends on your iPhone with Dr. Awesome
iPhone game-development house ngmoco is on a roll. Its first game, MazeFinger, was good (at least for a free app). Its next game, Topple, was great. And today it released its third game, Dr. Awesome, Microsurgeon M.D., and it’s — wait for it — awesome.
The premise of Dr. Awesome will be familiar to anyone who has played games like Trauma Center on the Nintendo Wii or DS systems. You’re a doctor, there’s an emergency, and… Continue Reading
New Rolando trailer shows its controls in action on the iPhone
When I wrote about my experience playing Ngmoco’s upcoming iPhone game Rolando, quite a few people (in our comments and elsewhere) noted that it seemed to be a rip-off of an older Sony Playstation Portable (PSP) game, Loco Roco.
While it’s undeniable that there are similarities, I would argue that perhaps the most compelling part of Rolando is the gameplay, which is a mixture of multi-touch and use of the accelerometer. Obviously, that’s hard to see… Continue Reading
The revenge of the $9.99 iPhone apps
When Apple’s App Store first launched back in July there was a wide range of prices for individual applications. While many were free, quite a few of the early games were $5 or $10. But as time has passed, there’s definitely been a trend of the paid apps to move towards $0.99, which seems to be a magic price point for high sales. But $0.99-an-app isn’t much of a way for developers to make a… Continue Reading
Rolando, one of the best looking iPhone games, plays even better
I’ve been excited about an iPhone game named Rolando ever since a video of it spread throughout the internet back in July right before the launch of the iPhone 3G (and App Store). The developers had hoped to release it in August, but that came and went, and the buzz largely subsided. But today I got a chance to play the basically completed version of the game — it’s even better than the original demo… Continue Reading
Kleiner-backed startup Ngmoco to launch three new iPhone games
Ngmoco is unveiling its first three games for the iPhone and iPod Touch today. The San Francisco-based startup is on a tear. Neil Young, a former Electronic Arts executive, founded the company in June, raised $5.6 million from Maples Investments and the Kleiner Perkins iFund (targeted at iPhone-related startups) in July and is now about to publish his first titles.
These first games include two “fast apps,” or quick games that will sell for the “micro… Continue Reading
Ngmoco raises Kleiner Perkins funding for iPhone games, puts Bing Gordon on board
iPhone games publisher Ngmoco has raised a first round of funding led by Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers. Kleiner Perkins partner Bing Gordon, the former chief creative officer of Electronic Arts, will join the San Francisco company’s board. The amount was not diclosed.
It isn’t too hard to connect the dots here. Neil Young (pictured left), a longtime EA veteran, recently quit to found Ngmoco (whose name means next-generation mobile company) to make iPhone games. In… Continue Reading
E3 perspective: An interview with John Riccitiello, CEO of Electronic Arts
John Riccitiello has been driving a lot of change at Electronic Arts. He was president and chief operating officer of the big independent video game publisher from 1997 to 2004. Then he left to co-found Elevation Partners. He engineered a deal to invest $400 million in acquiring a majority stake in the game development firms, BioWare and Pandemic. While he was gone, EA suffered lackluster financial performance and its games were often mocked as dull… Continue Reading
EA star leaves to start iPhone games company, Ngmoco
The iPhone’s remaking of the cell phone business is creating opportunities for new start-ups, particularly in the game field. That’s why one of the game industry’s leading executives left his job to create Ngmoco, an iPhone game start-up.
Neil Young was one of the rock star game development executives at Electronic Arts, responsible for games that sold millions of video games, from “The Lord of the Rings” titles to “The Sims 2.” He was the executive… Continue Reading