When the game was new to the scene, Bolt Creative CEO, Dave Castelnuovo, would check out fan comments and gather real feedback. He made sure that players who spent $0.99 to download Pocket God knew that their voices were being heard and that their comments would be taken into account by responding to both praise and criticism. It is important to offer fans a communication channel to share their opinions. Now there is an array of useful tools available to monitor and manage comments on various social network sites so that it is easier. Castelnuovo recommends, however, having a presence on a limited selection of social networking sites rather than trying to be everywhere. He suggests choosing a format that suits your strengths and focusing your energy there, specifically.

The Bolt Creative team encouraged their Pocket God users to get involved by expressing appreciation for their fans’ creative contributions. For example, when fans sent in cartoon artwork of pygmy characters from the game, Castelnuovo would post their work on the game’s website. Once fans saw that their work was being acknowledged, even more contributions were submitted, increasing engagement even further.

This Saturday, March 13 at GDC in San Francisco, Dave Castelnuovo will be sharing more insight on community development and engagement. Check out the session “Ongoing User Engagement: How to Listen to Your Community” in Room 131, North Hall at 1:30 pm. He will be revealing tips for creating and managing a strong community fan base.

Related posts:Take It Out Your Pocket and Show It: Pocket God’s a Hit on the iPhone Pocket God Adds Depth, Redemption for the Islanders? Bolt’s Pocket God Continues App Store Domination

One of the most interesting portions of the summit were a series of “Hot Topics” presented by Electronic Entertainment Design and Research (EEDAR). Adam Sessler, Host of “X-Play” and Editor-in-Chief for G4tv.com, led debates on a few different themes, including a discussion on casual games with David Jaffe of Eat Sleep Play and David Crane of AppStar Games. Crane weighed in on the casual market saying that it will likely collapse on itself because development studios have to compete not only with the large scale publishers of the world like EA, but also the average teenager who is creating games in their basements without financial risk. Sessler also spoke with Dan Connors of Telltale Games and Richard Garriott of Portalarium about the importance of storytelling. Garriott expressed that most games with storylines have failed to integrate this properly. Additionally, Sessler spoke with Chris Taylor from Gas Powered Games and Mike Capps of Epic Games about the challenges of being an independent studio, and Taylor joked that his kids probably wouldn’t go to college because of the financial risks he’s had to take in order to finance the studio’s games.

You can also view brief video clips from the Hot Topics session here:

The D.I.C.E. Summit also featured a series of informative presentations from industry leaders, including Jesse Schell, a professor of game design at Carnegie Mellon University and head of Schell Games, who clearly gave the favorited talk at D.I.C.E. this year. Schell spoke about the impact of social games on Facebook platform over the last year, as well as the future of games beyond the online platform. He talked about the convergence of game-like interactions happening offline, and being incorporated into everything else that we do. He also projected that in the future, censors will detect everything in your life and will be used to engage people in gameplay. You can view Schell’s full presentation here:

The 13th annual Interactive Achievement Awards ceremony took place on the final evening of the summit to pay tribute and recognize the individuals and products that have contributed to the growth of the video game industry. It was truly a pleasure to watch Jay Mohr host the event as he jabbed at well-known industry executives with his sharp, totally uncensored comedy. In the end, we found the D.I.C.E. Summit to be a must-attend event for video game industry professionals both for its engaging and insightful content, and its focus on fostering relationships and growth in the industry.

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Continuing our efforts to engage in real discussions with the leading members of the gaming industry and beyond,  TriplePoint recently had the opportunity to chat with IGN’s on-camera host and staff writer, Jessica Chobot.  Since 2005, Jessica has become a key influencer within the gaming community and we were fortunate to talk with Jessica on her quick rise at IGN, social media, and oh yeah, the infamous PSP photo.

TP:  How did you find yourself in your current roles at IGN and Maxim?

JC: How I got my spot here at IGN is a long and intricate story, so I’ll give you the semi-quick version. I was going through a quarter-life crisis and working as a model for quick pocket money and at EB Games for discounts. I had pre-ordered a PSP and the day it was released was the same day I had a photo shoot. On the way to the shoot, I stopped by EB to pick up the PSP, took it with me to the studio and during a break, showed it off to everyone and was screwing around and taking goofy pictures. One ended up being the “PSP lick” picture.

Shortly after getting a copy of the photos, I showed them to a friend who informed me I should send them to Kotaku to see if they’ll post it. I thought, ‘Sure. Why not?’ Sent them over to Brian Crecente and figured that was my fun 15 minutes of fame.

And then, things blew up! Brian IM’ed me and told me how everyone was asking who I was. G4 asked me for an interview on Attack of The Show.  IGN hit me up to be a part of their Babes channel interviews (now called Stars) and I started freelancing for Brian’s personal site and FHM UK.

From there, I hounded daily until they offered me a job freelancing for their IGN Insider section which eventually led me to being hired full time as their main on-camera host for our shows (IGN Strategize and The Daily Fix) and event coverage (E3, GDC, Tokyo Game Show, etc…).

As for my spot with Maxim, that was more of a ‘guest appearance’ type of thing. Nothing permanent.

TP:  You’ve transcended games journalism and have established yourself as a unique brand.  Define the Jessica Chobot brand.

JC: I like to try and think of myself and my brand as the non-shameful female nerd. I say non-shameful because I feel that a lot of women out there are still a little intimidated by tech and gaming or, if they aren’t, are refusing to come out from their boyfriend’s shadow and step into their own limelight. Also, for the ones that are brave enough to stick their necks out, they’re often put into such a competitive position within their gaming/nerd careers; they find themselves attacked from all sides and end up becoming overly agro and defensive. And still another theme is for women to take the easy way out, show some tits and cash in on the nerd trend without offering anything of real substance or talent.

I find nothing wrong with any of these approaches…to a point. That point is usually reached when someone gets involved in the industry without any real passion for it. Or takes whatever shtick their going with and only half-asses it or attempts to be something they aren’t.

My motto: Do whatever you want. But if you’re gonna’ do it, then do it well.

TP:  How have you used social media applications such as Twitter to connect with your fanbase and extend this personal brand?

JC: I use Twitter, Facebook and Modlife to tell people what I’ve got coming up, things I find cool that they might want to check out and sometimes just to shoot the shit. Lately, I’ve been using my Twitter account to sound off on the REAL AWESOME *sarcasm* United States airlines and the TSA. It’s a well-oiled machine and the TSA treats people with SO much respect that it makes me proud to think they’re the first people visitors to our country get to interact with. (Hahahahaha! Oh, I crack myself up sometimes!)

TP:  What is the craziest PR request you have ever been sent?

JC: Honestly, nothing too bad. Wacky PR requests usually get dissolved before they even hit my office inbox.

Typically they revolve around the common denominator stance of: attractive girl in some sort of bikini or sexy get-up or some play off the whole PSP licking thing. I’ve gotten a little irritated by that at times because it just shows a complete lack of creativity. Nowadays though, the PR stuff I see come across my desk is a lot more funny and cool. I’ll admit it; I have no problem showing off a little skin if the concept is good. I just don’t like it when it’s the default and offered up with nothing else.

TP:  What is the best way to pitch you?

JC: Pitch me something that is creative, pushes the boundaries, funny and proves that you have some familiarity with our demographic. Not knowing who our audience is a MAJOR turn off. It just screams volumes about how you don’t care and are making no effort to do your job.

TP:  Any current games you are unbeatable in?

JC: LOL!  No. I’m beatable in everything. I love gaming but I don’t think I’d be defined as a “good gamer” in competitive gaming terms.

TP:  Any last words?

JC: When I go home tonight, I’m going balls deep into some Bioshock 2.

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First, in case you’ve been under a rock, the background: Facebook notifications will cease to exist in their previous form, starting this week. According to Mashable, developers of games and other Facebook apps will now be required to either send email updates to users (assuming they’ve agreed to receive them), or hope that users will read about their updates via fan pages and new feeds.

An additional counter feature will also be relied on, which displays the number of app related notices you have next to the application’s name in your left menu navigation on the Facebook homepage (for those applications you have bookmarked). However this is as close to universal notifications as the updated system comes, making those who were tired of logging in to see a big 20+ digit in the corner of their screens very happy campers indeed.

One of the most popular new features is an email alert system. Facebook games are rewarding players who register with all kinds of exclusive in-game items, like new recipes, shells and armor.

Join Cafe World’s Email Distribution List for a Chance to Win 100 Cafe Cash – Zynga is offering two pieces of incentive for Café World users to sign up for email updates of the game. The first is a simple, one-time reward of 20,000 coins for hitting the “Subscribe” button that constitutes the fourth step of the “Become a real chef!” bar running across the top of the gameplay screen. While the 20,000 coins may be enough to get you to subscribe to game emails, Zynga is opening that their ongoing Café Cash giveaways will keep you on the distribution list. Once every week, one lucky subscriber will receive a staggering 100 Café Cash prize, simply for agreeing to receive email updates. If you thought that unlocking access to the Giant Dino Egg recipe would be the only reward for signing up to receive email updates for Zynga’s Cafe World, think again. The developer has announced further details surrounding the rewards awaiting those who sign onto the game’s email distribution list – namely, the creation of a Dish of the Month Club.

Sign Up For Tiki Resort Emails, Receive Shells – After rewarding users who became a fan of Tiki Resort with a gift of 3000 shells (the game’s currency), the game’s developer, Playdom, is at it again, this time offering a reward to users who agree to receive email updates about the game. The reward here is the same for those who became a fan – by placing your email (or a proxy) on the game’s email distribution list, you’ll receive 3000 free shells with which to buy new Charms, decorations, pets and more for your humble (or extravagant) island paradise.

Sign Up for Mafia Wars Email List, Receive Free In-Game Armor – With traditional Facebook notifications now a thing of the past, Zynga is hoping to keep Mafia Wars players connected to the game via email updates, and as an added incentive for users to sign up for said updates, the company is offering an exclusive in-game item to all who participate. The item comes in the form of an armored vest, with some fairly impressive stats (when compared to other defensive items): 23 Attack and 47 Defense.

Several social games have also been busy flaunting their Facebook fan page as a way to stay up-to-date. Like signing up to receive email alerts, players can earn special bonuses and exclusive items by becoming a fan (and will get the latest updates in their Facebook news feed via the game’s fan page).

Playfish Offers Free Coins to Pet Society Fans – Playfish is offering incentive to users not only to become a fan of their popular pet simulator Pet Society, but also a reason to play the game every day. Users that login should receive a 1000 coin bag just for being a fan of the game. According to the pop-up that appears, you can receive an additional 1000 coins for signing up for email updates for the game as well, although both tasks are entirely voluntary.

Wild Ones Offers Laser Cannon to Facebook Fans – Wild Ones is the latest in a long string of Facebook games that has rewarded users for becoming a fan by offering them a free item in exchange. The item here is the Laser Cannon, a weapon of mass destruction that, according to Games.com, causes 400 damage, and as long as it’s properly aimed, can’t miss… If, however, one Laser Cannon simply isn’t enough for you, subscribe for email updates for the game, and you’ll get a second!

Other new notification methods include in-game features, such as enhanced comment systems and gift boxes. Games like PetVille are evening offering new bonuses to help ease the transition.

PetVille Neighborhood Bonus, Comments Box: Post-Facebook-Notification Notifications – Welcome to the Neighborhood! Zynga has made PetVille’s neighbor “visit” feature a bit more official, including an enhanced cleaning system and a new bonus meter where players can track their “Neighborhood Bonus”. You can earn daily bonus coins for visiting friends in the game, grooming them and cleaning up their houses.You can access the Neighborhood box by clicking the green bunny-shaped icon on the bottom of your PetVille screen. The Neighborhood Bonus box contains your pet’s Happy -O- Meter, which increases when you visit and care for your friends’ pets in the game.

PetVille players also have a new place (the Comment Box) to track which friends visited their pet’s pad, who sent gifts, and who left comments. Click on the pencil/notepad icon to access your Comments Box. Similar to the Neighborhood Bonus, you can earn daily bonus coins when your friends leave comments in your pet’s Comment Box.

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More than a year after its initial launch, Pocket God continues to top the App Store charts with over two million copies sold. Bolt Creative’s Dave Castelnuovo and Allen Dye keep the craze, well, crazy, through clever content updates, community engagement and tons of humor.

The benevolent deities on the PR team help keep Pocket God’s name in lights through quality media hits. Here’s a recap of the latest and greatest:

Bloomberg TV
Venture CES Edition – Broadcast and Online (1/22)
Dave Castelnuovo speaks on the Pocket God demographic, pricing strategy and the future of the brand.

NBC’s “press:here”
Episode 42, Part 2 – Broadcast and Online (1/31)
Dave joins the weekly Silicon Valley news roundtable to discuss app development and the iPad.

The New York Times
“For Gamers, the iPhone is a Player” – Online (1/27) and Print (1/28)
Dave comments on the power of the iPhone as a gaming device.

TIME Techland
“Popular iPhone App Pocket God Possibly Coming to Android” – Online (1/8)
Dave discusses the Nexus One, Android and Pocket God’s future.

The Sunday Times
“Apps generation could make second killing from Apple’s iPad” – Print and Online (1/31)
Bolt on how Pocket God came to be, and the iPad opportunity.

Joystiq
“iPhone Game Devs Give Us Their Thoughts on the iPad” – Online (1/28)

PocketGamer.biz
“Bolt Creative’s Castelnuovo: iPad is the Ultimate Virtual Chess Board” – Online 1/28

Kotaku
“Pocket God Micro-Review: Heaven or Hell?” – Online 1/19
“Pocket God is more than a simple time killer. It excels at some of the best the iPod/iPhone has to offer and does so brilliantly. While the players are put in the role of god, the real divine work here is the workman-like craft and development that went into making this title.”

For more insights into what works for Bolt, and how indie developers can achieve their own success on a tight budget, be sure to check out Dave’s GDC talk next week!

Related posts:Take It Out Your Pocket and Show It: Pocket God’s a Hit on the iPhone Pocket God Adds Depth, Redemption for the Islanders? App Store Continues Rapid Growth with 3 Billion iPhone and iPod Touch App Downloads

With this in mind, why is it that Bloom Energy has fell through the cracks for so long? Unless you’re really into being green, are an industry analyst, or track venture capitalist investments, chances are you may have not been aware of Bloom Energy and its prospect over the last 8 years. Though Bloom Energy has raised over $400 million in VC funds, it had not shown its product once to anyone, which to some VC may be a bit on the unnerving side considering the amount of money being thrown with no return on investment in sight. It wasn’t until a debut on 60 minutes that any secondary means of media attention were gained. A combination of the company’s secrecy plus a well placed exclusive with a mainstream outlet created a flurry of media attention. A press conference was called for the following Wednesday and needless to say, a media circus ensued, allowing the masses of everyday, electric bill paying folks to get a glimpse of what the future of energy production has in store.

So much visibility within a short amount of time can definitely be attributed to a well played PR and marketing strategy. Much like a highly anticipated game coming upon its release date, a few well-placed preview opportunities with notable and reputable outlets will generate a large enough buzz, calling for the rest of the blogosphere to stand up and pay a little more attention. This is the power of good PR, something a firm with great media relations can attain for its clients. Yes, that’s a hint.

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This is thanks to being introduced to the Cloud – a term on a very superficial level that refers to things being kept on external servers and streamed via the internet. Its concept and execution are much more complex, and as a result better explained by Cloud Expert James Urquhart at his blog The Wisdom of Clouds (hosted by CNET).

Basically, it means that I am not effectively shackled to one computer.

If I – hypothetically – knock a glass of 40-year-old Banff scotch over my laptop, I can set it aside to dry and continue on another computer. I can keep writing thanks to Wordpress saving my progress on a server hundreds of miles away. I don’t even need to break my place in my David Bowie marathon, as Grooveshark restores my 100-song playlist, and picks up where I left off. I keep chatting to my colleagues via Digsby – which, of course, saves all my login details and contacts in just the order I like.

And, when I’m done writing the post, I save the draft, and know I’ll be able to check on it in a few hours – with no need to make sure I’ve saved it in the right format, put it on the USB key, or really done anything, actually.

Sadly, for now it’s far from becoming the core of our computing world – in fact, there’re still major players like Oracle who still don’t quite get it – and there’s a degree of worry over its security, some of which is stuck on the worry of committing all of your files to a server you don’t own and cannot kick when it stops working.

That isn’t to say you shouldn’t consider taking advantage of it. As said, Google Docs can compliment, if not totally replace the Office suite. Dropbox – as you imagine – creates a box of folders that lives online that you can constantly link to and access anywhere in the world. Evernote is the Mossberg-approved notebook that can save just about any file to, again, a store in the cloud. Flickr is one of the oldest and most reliable image-hosts – so much that I’ve been a Pro member for several years, keeping thousands of personal, professional photographs safe. Unlike the five or six dead hard drives I’ve had since then.

And, of course, GamersGate keeps every game I own in one place. But I’m not meant to play those at work.

So, as you can see, Cloud Computing is very much here to stay, and is rapidly approaching the point when I can’t work do any work because my computer isn’t working properly.

Wait, damn.

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A recent tweet:

@madluv4iPhn Dear iPhone – I’ve met someone new named the Nexus One. I’m strangely attracted to her and need a few days to figure this all out.

I initiated a conversation with @madluv4iPhn to understand his reasons for leaving his iPhone.  The first reason he provided is that the Nexus One serves as a much better telephone than the iPhone. Inconsistent coverage has been a general gripe of the iPhone user population. The Nexus One provides more consistent service with improved sound quality and fewer dropped calls.  To be fair, iPhone’s AT&T service is greatly responsible for the frustrating inconsistency of their calls. Interestingly enough, T Mobile has served the Nexus One very well so far, despite its general criticism for inconsistent coverage.

Another captivating feature is the Nexus One’s ability to sync flawlessly with Google applications. Granted, it is a Google phone, but these applications are seamless in comparison to their counterparts on the iPhone. On the Gmail client, one can even sync contacts with Facebook contacts to include profile pictures and status updates.

Google has realized that, despite anti-texting/talking cell phone laws, people will continue to use their phones on the road. The Nexus One has taken the initiative to create voice command functionalities that make driving while talking or texting a safer endeavor.  The “talk to text” function allows you to dictate text messages and has surprisingly accurate results.  The GPS navigation system can announce the directions aloud while you drive.

In addition to the aforementioned capabilities, the Nexus One’s processing speed is incredibly fast, vastly enhancing the internet browsing experience. The 5.0 megapixel camera, trumps the iPhone’s and is complete with an LED flash. The Nexus One is an unlocked device, allowing you to choose your own provider.

The Nexus One’s multitasking capabilities add another level of convenience for the ever-busy smart phone user.  Any notifications appear in their own section that you can view without interrupting other running applications.  Unlike the iPhone, Pandora can play music in the background amidst other running applications.

When asked what he misses about iPhone, @madluv4iPhn noted the ease of iTunes, the apps, and gaming capacity that the iPhone possesses.  The Nexus One’s media player is ugly compared to iTunes. The iPhone is simply a better gaming device and the App Store offers better apps. The Nexus One has hardly enough space to store games and the Android Market’s 20,000 apps leave something to be desired.

While there are in a bevy of perks that the Nexus One has to offer, the ultimate choice comes down to personal preference. The iPhone is a beautiful, simple device that even children can use with ease. The Nexus One, however, boasts the forefront in smartphone technology.  Admittedly, leaving the iPhone behind was bittersweet for @madluv4iPhn. Even so, the Nexus One is his soulmate.  You just can’t argue with fate.

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As reported by Inside Network and covered here on TriplePointPR.com, this year, the virtual goods industry is projected to drive $1.6 billion in revenue in the U.S. alone.  While the ability to purchase virtual goods has existed in online communities for quite some time now, the phenomenon that is social gaming hasushered in a brand new audience for microtransaction purchases – the general consumer.

While traditional retailers and toymakers struggle to survive the stormy and rather unpredictable economic recession, the virtual goods industry is booming.  Selling non-physical items, the providers of virtual goods have seen just as much (and presumably more) success than long time brands and veterans of the physical toy industry present at the Javits Center this week.  The reason for such success is simple – the provider of the virtual good, which can be looked upon as a modern toy manufacturer, is smarter and armed with more consumer information than the producer of the antiquated physical retail toy.

The virtual goods market has thrived by directly connecting with its consumer base.  Virtual goods producers, including social gaming developers and publishers like Zynga, Playfish and Playdom, can maximize their revenue by implementing virtual economy currency platforms that help control and manage their in-game monetization systems.  Going beyond the incorporation of the basic economic principles of supply and demand and scarcity, virtual goods providers are able to quickly learn valuable information about their consumers in ways physical retailers simply cannot.

As part of the “Getting Paid: Payment Systems That Power Virtual Goods” panel at Engage!, Social Gold’s Mike Haswell elaborated on the advantages of implementing virtual currency payments systems, such as the product offered by Social Gold, to virtual goods producers.  Haswell and his fellow panel members  noted that through the creation of strong databases of consumer information and the in-depth monitoring and reporting of spending habits, data mined by virtual payments enablers offers virtual goods producers with instant feedback on how to effectively manage and maximize revenue in their virtual economies.

Mike Haswell and Chris Houtzer of Social Gold with a new (or "old") friend

By knowing how much a consumer spends on virtual goods within a social game (commonly referred to as “average revenue per user” or “ARPU”), which items are selling particularly well at different price points and during various time periods  (holidays in particular), and how these goods are selling in specific geographic locations through methods such as geotargeting, virtual good producers have an enormous advantage over retail toy manufacturers, who must wait for such data to come in over much longer periods of time.  With an arsenal of information readily at bay, virtual goods providers can quickly adjust items found in their in-game economies to ensure efficiency and growth.

While there will always be room on the major retailer’s shelf for the physical toy, the virtual good is quickly establishing itself as the faster, better, stronger option for entertainment in the digital age of retail.

Related posts:Virtual Goods Generate 1.6 Billion – New Payments Solutions Make It Even Easier to Purchase Goods Social Gold Drives Repeat Purchases of Virtual Goods Selling the Farm: Virtual Goods Summit 2009

Barbie’s inspiration notwithstanding, women have already begun taking a more active role as both developers and consumers of video games. The Guildhall at SMU, a graduate video game education program, has recently announced that 20 percent of their incoming class is female, and the Electronic Software Association’s most recent survey of gamers has asserted that 43 percent of online players are women. (The latter statistic could most likely be attributed to the popularity of casual games, but also may include games such as World of Warcraft, which has a surprisingly high female gamer population.)

For those who are interested in becoming part of the rising tide of women in the video game industry, the Frag Dolls blog has posted a list of 50 games industry women from whom to draw inspiration, including Corrinne Yu, the Principal Engine Programmer for Microsoft’s Halo Franchise Team and the first female Technical Lead for Microsoft Game Studios, as well as noted game designer Jane McGonigal and Fiona Cherbak, current head of the Women in Games Special Interest Group (SIG) for the International Game Developers Association (IGDA).

Fiona and the Women in Games SIG are spearheading initiatives to help inspire girls and women to take a more active role within the video games industry. Most recently, she and the SIG have created GameMentorOnline to “meet the growing need for peer-to-peer mentorship support in games,” as well as the Games2Girls Program Committee, (chaired by gaming industry veteran Margaret Wallace), which is working in conjunction with the Games Research Lab at Columbia in NY to develop course curriculum to help promote video games as a profession to middle school girls.  Other important programs include the Indie Women’s Game Design Competition, with winners to be announced at GDC 2010, and the Women in Games Preservation Committee, which showcases important women in games through its database and Wiki.

Join Barbie and the thousands of real-life women who are breaking the mold in the computer engineering and video games industries, one pink high heel at a time. For more information, check out the Women in Games SIG, or attend sessions at the upcoming Game Developer’s Convention in San Francisco.

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