Let’s face it, while the last couple of decades have produced amazing growth in the fields of technology, the economy however has been in a bit of a slump. Luckily, the LA Tech scene is helping to establish a new post-recession era, evidenced by SGN’s (Social Gaming Network) acquisition of San Diego-based developer Mob Science and their current projection of $50 Million for the year of 2013.
Silicon Valley’s 9+, an accelerator founded by serial entrepreneur and company builder Peter Relan is investing $110,000 into game developers to quit developing games and shift to consumer, mobile, Big Data and wearable apps.
Last week, the E3 Gaming Conference razzled and dazzled Los Angeles as attendees hobnobbed with top executives in the industry, tried out new consoles and platforms, took photo ops with cool displays like the reconstructed boat from Wind Waker, the green screen for Splinter Cell or Tanks of World of Tanks, and explored the latest and most realistic virtual worlds created by top game developers. There is certainly a lot to cover but I’ll just mention a few highlights.
In the mid 80s and early 90s, the tech world was all about video games. Nintendo started a revival of the video game industry and every child and adult were equally having a great time playing games at the arcades and at home. The Original NES, SNES, and Sega Genesis provided homes with endless fun and entertainment, but those consoles are long gone and only a handful of people still hold on to such old relics. Innex, Inc. is planning to bring the old-school consoles back into gamer’s hands by selling the Super Retro Console and Adapter by Retro-bit.
Social games players have been playing for just bragging rights for a few years now. Sure, tending to a harvest or building up a city can be fun but why not play for real world rewards. Well in a few weeks, Mike Gramling, CEO of PopRox Entertainment, plans to knock your socks off with unheard of real world rewards! Fresh off their GDC Online 2012 public unveiling, I had a chance to sit down with Mike and discuss his journey to being a social gaming trendsetter with their new social game Race 4 My Place.
It is that time of year again, when the digital and tech world looked up from their busy workload just long enough to make sure that they are “represented” with a kickass submission for a panel or two at the most prestigious conference all year, SXSWi (South by Southwest Interactive Festival).
Goko, a new HTML5 games company based in Redwood City California is set to help game developers easily distribute and monetize social games. Goko was founded by Ted Griggs as CEO and Kevin Binkley as CTO.
Goko is backed by Redpoint Ventures and Aslop Louie Partners from whom it raised raised $8m in Series A funding.
We’ve all become so used to having Microsoft in our lives that we’ve started to take their products and services for granted. We don’t think about how much Microsoft does to make our lives easier, especially at work. However, Microsoft is behind the scenes at most businesses – both large and small – enabling them to operate more efficiently and grow more quickly.
The swanky little boutique suite on Santa Monica’s Main Street greeted me in a way that I hadn’t expected. Having been invited to a Sony Vita (Playstation Portable successor) VIP party, I was expecting the event venue to be at a) an electronics store with a sterile feel or b) a top 40 boozing event with a double-booked guest list and red carpet entrance fitting for only Hollywood’s most obscure C-Listers (as some of these product release parties can sometimes be like).
These days we rarely find startups or mobile applications being built to focus on the progression of a children abilities for learning and their growth of a wider knowledge based from a younger age. Go Go Mongo, steps into that realm and has helped children learn about healthy eating. They’ve creatively done this with making a game that’s simple and fun that has children wanting to learn and eat cauliflower.
