Suttree.com: Casual Games, Social Software by Duncan Gough

So many links, so little time…

First, via Slashdot, ‘Valve Angry Over Counter-Strike Subway Ads‘, in which Valve are upset that ads are being displayed in-game to gamers playing Counter Strike.

Which is odd since Counter Strike started life as a free mod for the original Half Life. Which is also odd since in-game ads are shaping up to be the next big revenue stream for games. I’ve talked about the impact on in-game advertising before, but in this case I’m on the advertisers side. CS servers cost a lot of money to run and I’m all for the owners opening up new revenue streams. A CS site like Axia.org.uk relies on its community to pay towards the servers through donations and I see no reason why they server admins shouldn’t use in game ads to help pay the costs.

Of course, the real reason I’m pro in-game adverts (at the moment) is because it should put an end to cookie-cutter sci-fi FPS games since there’s no real way that an advert is going to look good in that context. I’m hoping that, in the long run, advertisers and game developers might just have to start talking to one another about creating new game genres, even if it is solely to make the adverts themselves more subtle, more integrated.

Secondly, via Casual Game Blogs comes this examination of a casaul games developer gone south, as well as the original article here. There’s lots in there that is worth writing on a whiteboard in big, big letters. With a blink tag wrapped round it too, no doubt.

Last but not least, the continuing ‘are mobile phone games any good yet?‘ debate finally reaches a positive conclusion with the release of Monkey Ball Mini Golf. Since it’s not available for my phone, however, then there can be only one answer - no, mobile phone games are still no good. Roll on Flash Lite.