There’s a nice interview up at Worlds In Motion with Klei Entertainment (Eets) founder Jamie Cheng on the issue of the free to play model, especially in relation to their new game Sugar Rush.
It’s a pretty detailed look at what goes into deciding to implement a FTP model in a game, how specific models are devised, and some of the overall benefits and problems FTPs face in the Western market. On why the FTP may be a really viable option for (good) indie games, Cheng had this to say:
Luckily Nexon has the standpoint that we’re not going to release the game until it’s a quality game.
PC World Business Center has an interesting article up about gaming in the workplace that looks at the way some companies are using games as team building tools, rewards and incentives.
Sooner or later someone is going to have to give us a definitive answer in the “will gaming survive the recession” debate. This week, ‘analysts’ reckon that the answer for casual gaming is ‘maybe not’.
Boy, things are just going 
It’s probably the surprise story of the week: 
The Times (the proper London one, not that New York pretender) is reporting that Nintendo has signed a deal with publishers Harper Collins related to its new ebook collection for the DS - 
You keep on with that resurging, Atari! It’s just been announced that the once-beleaguered publisher have bought MMO developer Cryptic Studios. Who you may know from their little game City of Heroes.
What economic crisis? This economic crisis. Sony just announced that 8,000 employees are to be given the arse, courtesy of a round of cost-cutting aimed at stemming the worst losses of the economic crisis.
An analyst for Electronic Entertainment Design and Research (
Poor Midway. They sure ain’t what they used to be. From arcade powerhouse to third-rate console publisher, today it’s been revealed the company are now facing a new low.