Game Life Weekly Wrap-Up: Zynga, Valve, and Ubisoft

Summary

In this article, we will be discussing the latest news in the gaming industry. We will cover Zynga’s release of FarmVille 2, Valve’s Greenlight service, Ubisoft’s single player games, and more.

Zynga’s FarmVille 2 Release
Valve’s Greenlight Service
Ubisoft’s Single Player Games
Conclusion

Zynga’s FarmVille 2 Release

Zynga, the popular game developer, announced the release of FarmVille 2 in hopes of enticing the 3 million grandmothers still playing the original FarmVille to try out the new version. FarmVille 2 boasts 3D graphics for the first time, bringing Zynga in line with the old Nintendo 64. The article also mentions the speaker’s past lobbying for government subsidies in exchange for Facebook credits.

Valve’s Greenlight Service

Valve released its Greenlight service for Steam, which allows game developers to pitch their games and for Steam community members to vote on whether or not those games should be available on the Steam Store. Initially, it was free to submit a game, which caused the service to be flooded with clearly fake games like Half-Life. Valve then required a $100 donation to Child’s Play before allowing game submissions. The speaker suggests an alternative solution for game submissions involving a Rock Band performance. Valve also began removing games with sexual content from Steam Greenlight, which may affect the speaker’s autobiographical game.

Ubisoft’s Single Player Games

Ubisoft announced that it will no longer require players of its single player PC games to be connected to an always online internet service just to play the single player game. This move was celebrated by gamers, and Ubisoft cited a giant meteor headed towards them as the reason for the change.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the gaming industry has seen some interesting developments this week. Zynga’s FarmVille 2 release, Valve’s Greenlight service, and Ubisoft’s single player game changes all have the potential to impact the industry moving forward.