Newsletter 11/2009
Here comes Blobo
Blobo, a small, soft and spherical game console, is throwing out a challenge to the popular Nintendo Wii. Throw it, press it or put it in your pocket. With Blobo you can practise basketball, karate, archery, ski-jumping, running and long jumping.
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Petri Purho makes a game in a week
On the screen there is only a creased piece of paper, until on one margin appears a red ball drawn with a piece of virtual crayon and on the other side a star. This is the start of Crayon Physics, which was designed by Petri Purho and was chosen the best independent game in the world. Read more
Growth and interest in games research
Unique expertise in games research can be found in Finland. “We’re world leaders in research into pervasive games,” says Professor Frans Mäyrä from Game Research Laboratory. Read more
Zen Bound best iPhone game
Zen Bound, which was developed by the Finnish game developer Secret Exit, is gathering a reputation and success worldwide. In March the Independent Games Festival named it the best iPhone game. Read more
Social media increases playing
Playing on the social media has increased hugely. The most popular game applications on Facebook alone have tens of millions of players. The marketing of games via the social media is spreading rapidly. Read more
OPINION
Game industry – carpe diem
In recent years the game industry has been the fastest-growing branch of the entertainment industry worldwide with global sales in 2008 estimated at 42 billion US dollars, compared with 54 billion for films and about 19 billion for music. In the light of these figures the game industry has clearly overtaken music and will catch up with the movie industry with increases of a few billion dollars in sales each year.
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ECONOMY UPDATE
Stability within sight
Favourable signs are perceptible in the trends of Finnish business life, even though the situation is still poor. The market situation is expected to stabilise gradually but there are no expectations of a rapid recovery.
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