Morning DLC: Video Games News And Rumors 8/24/13
By Nick Tylwalk
"Casual-centric features are necessary for the longevity of “World of Warcraft,” lead designer Tom Chilton told Polygon during this week’s Gamescom event in Germany.Blizzard made its first major push to appeal to casual fans with last year’s release of expansion “Mists of Pandaria,” something that Chilton says has proven to be “very successful” for the company.“We would have been in bad shape had we not done that,” he told us, acknowledging that many long-time players saw this move as a break from the MMO’s roots which focused on instances and raids.Blizzard is no longer opposed to the idea of re-inventing the MMO as a free-to-play title, Chilton added, although the team is still unsure of the success rate of free-to-play games over time."
"EA plans to release “one to two” new IPs annually on next-gen consoles, but only after it has successfully transitioned its existing franchises to PS4 and Xbox One, according to Labels boss Frank Gibeau.Last year Gibeau told CVG that the company was working on “between three and five” new IPs for next-generation consoles.Now, speaking to CVG in an interview at Gamescom, the exec confirmed that number has grown to around “half a dozen”."
"In the good ol’ days of McDonald’s, you’d finish your quarter pounder, pull on your sweaty tube socks, and go play in the glistening, brightly-colored, slippery-with-sweat tunnels of the huge McDonald’s Play Place.Not anymore. In one Singapore location, young McDonald’s diners can play with “The Happy Table,” a McDonald’s-themed smartphone game that’s only playable within the confines of the McDonald’s restaurant (PLAY UNTIL YOU’RE HUNGRY FOR MORE FOOD, KIDS!). What is this sorcery, you ask? The restaurant’s tables are embedded with NFC stickers, so when a kid waves her smartphone over the table, “The Happy Table” game automatically launches on her screen."