Gameloft, one of the oldest and biggest names in mobile phone games, has cut its development investment in Google’s Android platform. The Washington Post quoted Gameloft finance director Alexandre de Rochefort as saying:
We have significantly cut our investment in Android platform, just like … many others. It is not as neatly done as on the iPhone. Google has not been very good to entice customers to actually buy products. On Android nobody is making significant revenue.
While he has a point about the Android Marketplace not being as “neat” as the iPhone App Store, I think this is an amazingly shortsighted move. Android handsets have only started popping up on three of the four major American carriers this fall. A number of analysts have predicted that Android will be the leading smartphone platform by 2012. Being first and being established on Android would be a wise move for Gameloft, but I’m guessing the bean counters are only looking at immediate returns.
Do you think Android has a big future? Or is Gameloft doing the right thing by cutting the cord early?
From Total Annihilation to Dungeon Siege to Supreme Commander, Chris Taylor has a long and storied history with real-time strategy games. Gas Powered Games’ founder and lead designer on the upcoming 
is one of the most important creators in gaming, continually taking the RTS genre to new heights. He also happens to be ridiculously funny (sometimes it hurts hanging out with him, from all the laughing) and super sharp. I recently caught up with Taylor to ask him about working with Square Enix, running a development studio during an economic downturn, downloadable content, and more.
for PSP and a Jenny McCarthy game for Wii, you don’t have a whole lot to work with. Instead, I’ll offer you a picture of Jenny and ask you if there are any games you’re hunting for on Black Friday.
is a decent value for those of you that haven’t picked up a Sony PlayStation Portable. If you buy a PSP-3000 for $169.99, you get either Dissidia: Final Fantasy or Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars for free.
Blu-ray last night. It’s such a great movie. Unfortunately, I missed it when it was still showing in theaters and only saw it in September on my way to Tokyo. I guess it doesn’t matter though, since I enjoyed the characterization and dialogue more than the special effects. It’s definitely one of my favorite movies of 2009, but I have to wonder how it plays to younger people that haven’t seen the old shows and movies.
web site is counting down to the final trailer that will be released before the game hits shelves in December. Really Square Enix? Really?!? I’m amped for this game and I’m looking forward to the new trailer, but I don’t need a frickin’ countdown clock for it.
. I still need to go through all the origins and get a few more Achievements. After that, I’m going to work on a character that I want to use for the sequel. I’m thinking a city-elf rogue that will specialize in assassin and duelist skills. Then again, it’s always tempting to go human noble because of the…uh…land owning possibilities.
with him. Surprisingly, I haven’t opened my copy yet. I love action-RPGs and comics, so you’d think I’d be all over this one. Normally, that would be the case, but the came out in September when I was flying all over Asia and at the end of the month…well, you know what happened. Anyway, I know I’m going to love this one, despite its flaws.