If you follow VentureBeat but don’t regularly check our GamesBeat site, here’s a list of the best video game stories we ran over the last seven days that you may have missed.
This week, Clash of Clans developer Supercell is now valued at $770 million and raised $130 million in February, Bethesda wraps up major Skyrim updates, and Disney fully embraces transmedia integration in Disney Infinity.
You’ll also find reviews for ShootMania, Cut the Rope: Time Travel, and a Threeview for BioShock Infinite, as well as our early impressions for Defiance.
June 5th: The AI Audit in NYC
Join us next week in NYC to engage with top executive leaders, delving into strategies for auditing AI models to ensure fairness, optimal performance, and ethical compliance across diverse organizations. Secure your attendance for this exclusive invite-only event.
News
- The DeanBeat: Defiance is inescapable transmedia that you’ll want to escape
- The Evil Within is the new survival-horror title from Resident Evil creator Mikami
- Nintendo finally releases the Circle Pad Pro for the 3DS XL in North America
- Angry Birds maker Rovio hires new exec to lead game development
- OnLive improves game-streaming performance with new optimization options
- Microsoft determined to make Xbox 360 more popular in Japan
- TimeGate loses appeal: Court orders Section 8 developer to pay $7.3M in damages
- Valued at $770M, Clash of Clans game studio Supercell raises $130M
- How Digital Chocolate teamed with Betable to launch a real-money gambling game in the U.K.
- Ex-Call of Duty team at Respawn Entertainment files for new trademark
- 2K Games is removing evidence of the XCOM shooter from the Internet
- Bethesda says farewell to more major Skyrim updates
- EA pulls the plug on 3 Facebook games
Mobile news
- Chinese ‘app store’ lets you install pirated iPhone apps — without jailbreaking
- PopCap releases Bookworm Heroes for iOS
- Hold on, mobile gaming monetization ain’t as easy as it looks
- Former Unity execs reveal cyberpunk tactics game for tablets
- With $11.3M to back it, Music Mastermind’s Zya app will turn consumers into music creators
- Papaya’s AppFlood helps developers monetize games in lucrative Chinese market
- Pocket Gems evolves from a successful developer into a mobile game publisher
Tech news
NPDs and future plans
- March 2013 NPD: Industry slumps another 10 percent as BioShock Infinite tops the charts
- Xbox division up big for Microsoft in Q3; Xbox Live has 46M members
- Japan’s Capcom slashes forecast and cancels games
- U.S. digital game revenues were stable in March, Superdata says
Exciting announcements
- Bethesda revealing Shinji Mikami’s horror game tomorrow: Here are the clues
- Breaking down what’s old and new in the 3DS’s upcoming lineup
- 3DS Nintendo Direct trailer roundup: Earthbound, new Link to the Past, and more
- Here’s a quick look at Yoshi’s Island for the 3DS
- Nintendo is making a new Zelda set in the A Link to the Past universe for 3DS
- The Legend of Zelda: Oracle games heading to 3DS eShop
- EarthBound coming to the Wii U Virtual Console this year
- Winged Pikmin take to the sky in the Wii U release this August
- Mario Party coming to Nintendo 3DS this winter
- Nintendo explains how it made Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D easier
- Mario & Luigi: Dream Team due out August 11
Interviews
- ‘Terminator’ actor Michael Biehn talks voicing Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon’s hero
- Signia Venture Partners’ Rick Thompson delivers the über-investor’s take on mobile gaming investments (interview)
Reviews
- Cut the Rope: Time Travel is a charmingly addictive puzzler with a few new tricks (review)
- Defiance is not your normal massively multiplayer online game (first impressions)
- Threeview: BioShock Infinite reviewed by a critic, an analyst, and an academic
- ShootMania Storm excels at shooter simplicity and customization (review)
Previews
Pieces of flair
- The uncanny similarities between the original BioShock and Infinite (gallery)
- Read+Watch+Listen: Bonus material for BioShock Infinite fans
- 10 better-than-Hollywood video game cosplayers
- Camp Minecraft: How educators use the block-building game to inspire kids to code
- Racing with friends: PS4′s DriveClub vs. PC’s Auto Club Revolution
