Articles of Interest

Too wonderful for words. (Kim and Raph already beat me to it.)

Jeremy Liew posts an estimate that most successful free to play MMOGs will generate $1 to $2 monthly ARPU. Some commenters dispute that, claiming up to $5. As always, the truth is probably somewhere in between (though I’d lean towards the higher end for free MMOGs that do a good job of serving niche audiences and/or that have more creative revenue-generating mechanisms.)

Majesco becomes the first publisher to capitalize on the opportunity created by Nintendo when they stunted Wii Fit by not including streamlined, customizable fitness (and especially cardio) modes in the game. Hopefully Majesco doesn’t go too far in the opposite direction and forget the fun.

And speaking of Wii Fit, Nintendo claims that they didn’t create this video, but if they did, it’s one of the most brilliant marketing gimmicks ever. (And it looks like copycat videos will bring Wii Fit even more attention; Playboy just posted one. No nudity, but still maybe not safe for work.)

Ummm… and speaking of Wii Fit (again…) Danc writes an eloquent post accurately labeling it a great example of game design as a “transformational new product development technique that can turn historically commoditized activities into economic blockbusters.”