The games maker Electronic Arts (EA) has closed the acquisition of Playfish for $ 275 million in cash and other forms of compensation, extending its business to the growing social gaming industry.
The Playfish, a company founded two years ago with headquarters in London, makes games to be played on the computer between families and friends, unlike traditional games that rely on specific consoles. Among its hits there are the game of virtual pets “Pet Society” and the game of questions and answers “Who Has The Biggest Brain?”.

Under the agreement, EA has paid about $ 275 million in cash plus another $ 25 million in retention agreements of shares, the company said on Monday (9).

In addition, the former owners of Playfish also entitled to additional compensation in cash, the value of variable, up to $ 100 million, provided that certain goals are achieved performance of the company until December 31, 2011.

EA said the deal would accelerate consolidation in the entertainment industry in social networks and strengthens its focus on the transition to digital social games.
The agreement comes at a crucial time for the video game market, which saw its sales plummet this year amid a shortage of famous release and consumer caution, with an eye on their spending due to economic recession.

Via: Folha.

Nokia is about to close its ailing gaming platform N-Gage next year, acknowledging the defeat of its first major attempt to offer a service applications to their phones. The download service games from the mobile phone maker faced major challenges over the years, as their specific models for games failed to attract consumers.

The online game service launched last year never to go beyond a niche audience. Nokia is seeking new ways to generate revenue from online services, with the maturing of its traditional cellular market, and industries of gaming and music were the focus of the first manufacturer of mobile devices. “We will not make new games for N-Gage application, Nokia said in the blog service.

The company said that the games of his first active service may be purchased by the end of September 2010 and that the community site will remain open throughout the year.
After the closing of the service, Nokia will continue to sell mobile games through its online store Ovi, a smaller competitor from the App Store, Apple.

Nokia is the world’s leading mobile phone supplier and a leading supplier of mobile and fixed telecom networks including related customer services.

Via: Nokia Br.

All right, so we have twisted our wrists again and again playing the supercool Wii Tennis. Also, how can we forget the endless swinging of arms while taking a shot at baseball. Well, now is the time to move forward and ‘jog’. Spelt like jOG, the latest in videogame console by Wii, this gadget lets you work on a joystick by jogging physically. And it is PS2 compatible too.

All you have to do is, connenct the device to the controller through a cable and then attach it to your pants. So, if you want yo use the controller’s joystick, you better be jogging. The jOG-S21 is expected to be out in the markets pretty soon and will cost somewhere around $25.

As much as we like gaming, we fear this little invention might not be such a big hit. Kids will probably have fun with it for 10 minutes or so and totally forget about it; leaving it to gather dust. Can’t say the same about adults who are willing to lose a few kilos though.

Via slipperybrick

Foosball is extremely popular among men who don’t have a 27” HD television in their living room to show off to their friends. Even if they aren’t that great at playing football with their hands, it makes for a great coffee table.

Brocantique brings this popular game back into the mainstream by offering you foosball tables modelled after originals from the 1950s. The French Champions kickers are available in bright red/yellow and also in the more traditional colours of mahogany. Rubber shock absorbers provide for easy playing and typical round grasps of Bakelite will ensure you don’t lose control of the ball as you attempt to score a goal. Other models include a 1958 version that had become especially popular in French bistrots and carry an almost antique styling. The Swinnen Automatique walks off the traditional path in being a foosball table with a definite difference. The Swinnen Automatique is made from solid wood, leather fitted, polished metal and black Bakelite grasps offering you the smoothest operations possible.

Brocantique offers you these foosball tables that are exclusive in design and availability to be almost collectibles. Prices start from € 3.400,00.

Via: Brocantique

I realize that snowfall is perhaps a month of two away and so are all the snow-filled games. But haven’t we heard of being prepared in advance! Snowball Blaster is the cool name given to this snowball gun that can make and launch softball-sized snowballs up to 50 feet. Imagine the devastation you will create in the much touted neighbourhood snowball confrontations. I think we know who will come out as the winner!

The working of the blaster gun is very simple. You just have to put snow in its chamber and close the lid. Poof! Three perfectly spherical snowballs are ready. For shooting them, place one snowball in the muzzle, prepare your aim and pull back the slingshot mechanism. And there you would have started/retaliated with great panache.

And since the blaster is powered by elastomers and not battreies, you can enjoy an uninterrupted, fast-action snow play. The plastic used to manufacture the gun is durable and cold-resistant. Targets are also offered for shooting practice (so be assured your mom will not scold you for breaking her expensive china). It is meant fpr ages 8 and up. So, what are you waiting for, Christmas?

Via hammacher & geekalerts