Leonard Nimoy Interview

MARCH 4, 2015 • Editor’s Note: Last weekend actor and director Leonard Nimoy passed away at the age of 83. Like anyone who loved Star Trek and his character Mr. Spock, his passing leaves me somewhat sad. But I also have my own personal remembrances of the man. Twenty-odd years ago I had the opportunity to interview him several times. I found him to be affable, engaging and generous regarding off-the-topic questions about his early career in a Republic .....

Nvidia Interview: The Next Generation

DEC. 3, 2014 • Nvidia has been one of the two major players in computer graphics products for more than a decade. That was not always the case, however. In the mid-1990s the company was a relative unknown in a flood of new technology companies attempting to carve out market share in the new 3D graphics business for computer games. A lot has changed since then with Nvidia actively augmenting its longstanding and successful PC graphics gaming business by emerging .....

PlayFab Monetizes Back-End

OCT. 28, 2014 • PlayFab is looking to provide backend technology for MMOs.  From the early MMOs onto today’s huge number of freemium online titles, providing for the backend technology and ongoing service responsibilities has never been easy. Virtual item monetization has only added to the complexity. While the availablity of tools and services in this area has steadily grown over the years to make the job less of a hurdle, launching a freemium title can .....

Natsume Interview: Harvesting Success

AUG. 28, 2014 • Much in the same way Nintendo Co. Ltd. has diligently nurtured a wholesome reputation in the video games it publishes, Natsume Inc. has successfully followed a very similar blueprint starting with the Harvest Moon franchise. That farm simulation series was a trailblazer back in 1997 when it was released on the 16-bit Super Nintendo Entertainment System. The title remains very popular today and laid the groundwork for franchises such as FarmVille .....

Behind Ninja Metrics’ Veil

JUNE 1, 2014 • Ninja Metrics Interview: How and why people spend money in games has taken on much greater importance as the free-to-play model has taken root worldwide. What is relatively novel is which players influence purchases by other players. The concept is not new, consumer electronics companies have been cultivating early adopters for decades – people who then go onto influence other consumers to purchase. Yet translating that concept to in-game purcha.....

Yodo1 Interview: China Mobile Localization

APRIL 22, 2014 • Yodo1 Interview: With 3G and 4G mobile networks spreading coverage throughout China it is no surprise that overall smartphone penetration is growing significantly with a corresponding demand for mobile game content. That is a very tempting scenario for Western mobile game studios looking to expand revenue. Yet China is a very different market.  There are a dizzying number of players in discovery and billing on top of picky consumers with distin.....

Priori Data Interview: Targeting App Data

SEPT. 23, 2013 • Priori Data Interview: A big issue in the mobile and online space is trying to understand the size of the market and the potential for products in the marketplace.  This information is very critical for developers and investors looking to make smart decisions.  Unfortunately there has been a great amount of hype and misinformation when it comes to accurate mobile data despite there being quite a few companies looking to provide analytics on m.....