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LOS ANGELES, CA, Apr 20, 2012 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) –
Playsino,
http://www.playsino.com , today announced it has closed on
$1.5 million of new funding. Playsino is focused on building the
largest social casino game publisher on social networks and mobile
platforms.

The company has closed on $1.5 million as part of what is expected to
be much larger financing to support the company’s ambitious goals.
Investors in the round included: IDM Venture Capital, a
Singapore-based venture capital firm investing in early to mid-stage
interactive digital media companies; Pacific Capital Group, a
Los-Angeles based private investment firm, which is led by Gary
Winnick, founder, Chairman and CEO; Siemer Ventures, a Santa Monica
venture capital firm; and several prolific angel investors, such as
Jordan Simons, Managing Partner and Co-Founder of GCP, a merchant
bank whose principals have closed over 200 investments and
transactions valued at over $15 billion; and Wicks Walker of W4
Ventures. Existing investors Tomorrow Ventures, Jim Armstrong and
Michael Huskins also participated.

“Playsino’s global potential is a key focus for our firm. Virtual
currency can play anywhere, and Playsino’s unmatched familiarity with
it best positions them to become the world’s largest social casino
game company,” said Denis Gamobramov, Managing Partner of IDM Venture
Capital.

The financing will accelerate the new Playsino product offerings led
by Brock Pierce, new CEO of Playsino and a Managing Director of the
Clearstone Global Gaming Fund. Pierce has founded eight companies,
acquired more than 30 others, and closed a dozen corporate finance
transactions, securing more than $200 million on behalf of his
companies.

“Brock is dynamic, the type of young entrepreneur we like to back and
the vision he shares of social gaming integrating elements of casino
games is undoubtedly going to become a substantial industry,” said
Andrew S. Kane, Managing Director and COO of Pacific Capital Group.

In 2001, Pierce, who is often referred to as the “Godfather of
Virtual Goods,” founded Internet Gaming Entertainment (IGE), which
pioneered the market for virtual goods in online games and was sold
in 2007. In 2003, Pierce founded Zam, which was sold in January 2012.
In 2004, Pierce has rolled up the exchange of virtual goods through
marketplaces using IMI Exchange, which today owns the world’s leading
marketplaces for the trading of virtual goods with systemwide annual
revenues exceeding $500 million. In 2010, he also led Xfire’s spin
out from Viacom.

“Social casino gaming combines the virality and addictiveness of a
game like Farmville with the monetization capabilities of mid- to
hard-core gaming,” said Pierce. “I believe this sector will have many
winners with some creating value in the billions. I aim to keep
Playsino at the forefront of the race by ramping internal
development, publishing relevant third party content as well as
acquiring the best independent players in the space.”

In addition to Pierce, Playsino is also bringing along key gaming
veterans needed for the ambitious effort to build the world’s largest
social casino games company.

Playsino enters a potentially drastic inflection point for social
gaming, with emerging social casino games as the catalyst for that
movement. Half of all the people on the Internet — 510 million –
play some sort of social game, a 71 percent increase since 2010.
Recent reports also estimate online gambling will be worth $30
billion globally in 2013, with the United States accounting for $4.5
billion of that figure.

“We believe the next evolution of social gaming will involve merging
it with what has been the longtime appeal of wagering,” said David
Siemer, Managing Director of Siemer Ventures. “Playsino’s gaming
platform is well-positioned to capitalize on this next phase.”

About Playsino:
Playsino, a social casino games company, brings the
exciting world of live-action gaming to mobile and social platforms
globally. The company is run by proven entrepreneurs and game
industry veterans. Playsino, formally Titan Gaming, is headquartered
in Santa Monica, CA.

SOURCE: Playsino

Copyright 2012 Marketwire, Inc., All rights reserved.

Financial Glossary

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Trustees May Consider Allowing Video Gaming

Trustees informally agreed to consider an ordinance allowing video gaming at places like the Lake Zurich American Legion.

Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for standing by. Welcome to the Penn National Gaming First Quarter Results Conference Call. [Operator Instructions] I would now like to turn the conference over to Joe Jaffoni, Investor Relations. Please go ahead.

Joseph Jaffoni

Thank you, Lindsay, and good morning, everyone. And thank you for joining Penn National Gamings 2012 First Quarter Conference Call. Im going to review the Safe Harbor language, after which, well get the managements presentation and comments and then your questions and answers.

In addition to historical facts or statements of current conditions, todays conference call contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements reflect the companys current expectations and beliefs but are not guarantees of future performance. As such, actual results may vary materially from expectations.

OPINION: Apple is Set to Change Gaming
Its just a matter of time before Apple storms into the console business. And when that happens, everything changes.

April 19, 2012
April 20, 2012
April 20, 2012

JACKSON — The state Gaming Commission on Thursday tabled a request by Rotate Black to build Harbor Town Casino. It told developers to try to come back with a bigger, better project.

The three commissioners all voiced the same concerns, noting the Harbor Town proposal would be the smallest casino on the Coast, with less than 22,000 square feet of casino space and an initial investment of $35 million in #x201C;bricks and mortar.#x201D; The developers said they have plans for expansion in subsequent phases.

#x201C;Think of it like a neighborhood,#x201D; Gaming Commissioner John Hairston said. #x201C;If you#x2019;re trying to attract large homes, the more small ones you allow make it less likely someone will build a large one #x2026;. You eliminate the chance of having big ones if you go put trailers up.#x201D;

Want to create sales charts for a boardroom presentation? Theres an app for that. Want to write the Great Canadian Novel? Theres an app for that. Want to make music, study dinosaurs or learn Mandarin? There are apps for that.

But if you want to slay monsters, blast aliens, race Ferraris and defend against jellies, there are more than just apps for that. Theres a whole new iPad.

Apples brand new addition to the iPad family, simply called the new iPad, is the third generation of Cupertinos genre-defining wunderslab. And it may also hold particular appeal to game fans of all stripes.

Launched this month, the new iPad is available in six configurations, ranging from a 16 GB Wi-Fi model ($519) up to a 64 GB Wi-Fi + 4G version ($849). Features-wise, its a bump up from its predecessor, particularly from a graphical standpoint, although not a revolutionary leap forward.

Improvements to the new iPad include a 5-megapixel rear camera that takes good photos and shoots 1080p video, support for 4G LTE mobile networks for extra-zippy data downloads and the new iPads so-called Retina display, a 2,048 x 1,536 pixel screen driven by a new graphics processor dubbed the A5X, offering four times the resolution of the iPad 2 and better colour saturation.

While touchscreen gaming still has some limitations – theres just no substitute for tactile control in some games – the iPad and iPhone are my go-to mobile gaming devices, because I tend to always have them with me, and games generally cost no more than $7, often selling for as little as 99 cents.

We at Crave love our PlayStation Vitas. Its actually shocking how much we play them, whether its while traveling or sitting on our couches at home. Between the gorgeous OLED screen, the comfortable dual analog sticks and everything in between, the PS Vita is a damn fine system with a ton of potential. And that potential has got us thinking: what other gaming franchises would we like to see on Sonys latest portable?

Honestly, there are a ton of series that would make for great PS Vita titles. But weve slimmed down our list to our top 10 must-haves. Here they are for your reading pleasure.

Grand Theft Auto

Weve loved every portable rendition of the Grand Theft Auto series thats seen the light of day so far. In fact, the GTA titles that released for the PSP, despite that things damn numb of a joystick, were ones that we played constantly.

Its because of that fact, coupled with the controls and graphical potential of the PS Vita, that wed love to see the Grand Theft Auto franchise have representation on Sonys new portable. This, hopefully, is a no-brainer for Rockstar. Theyve shown dedication to portables in recent years, and the PS Vita should prove a more than capable device for their potential ambitions.

NHL series

A lot like the other sports titles in this list, seeing an NHL title on the PS Vita would be a dream come true. Most hockey games in this series last around 15 minutes; thats perfect for gaming on the go.

Take it a step further and add the PlayStation 3/PlayStation Vita crossplay functionality that MLB 12: The Show sports, and this thing will be a must-have beast for all hockey fans. Imagine managing your team on the go. Or, even better, hopping into EA Sports Hockey League games while passing out in your bed.

Ratchet amp; Clank

Maybe this one is too obvious? Ratchet amp; Clank is one of Sonys best franchises. In fact, for a chunk of the Crave gaming staff, the Ramp;C line is what brought us over to the Sony side of the fence so many years ago. The humor, the gameplay and the style are all incredible.

Wed love a brand-new entry in the franchise, of course, but wed even like to see a port of the HD collection thats launching for the PlayStation 3 later this year. Yeah, we know, that probably wont happen; but, wed love to play classic Ratchet amp; Clank on the go.

Sly Cooper

One of the main reasons wed love to see Sly Cooper on the Vita is because the games graphical stylings would look phenomenal on the Vitas screen. The colorful characters would pop of the screen thanks to the franchises cel-shaded visuals.

In addition, the Sly Cooper games are just fun experiences with a ton of collectibles to keep you coming back for more (Trophies rock on the Vita, mind you!). Sucker Punchs anthropomorphic franchise would be a nice fit for the portable gaming scene, theres no doubt about it.

NBA 2K series

Having played a ton of MLB 12: The Show on the Vita its clear that sports titles, when done right, are great on Sonys latest portable console. The system has the horse power to impress visually while also making sure the smaller, portable version of said franchise doesnt feel like an insignificant bastard child.

With that in mind, seeing 2K Sports NBA franchise on the go would be a dream. Being able to take your franchise and your NBA Legend on the go would be incredible. And if 2K Sports can squeeze the NBA Greatest mode on there, too, then our lives would be complete because wed have Larry Bird in our back pocket at all times.

Swedish gaming developers are experiencing a boom, as turnover for TV and computer games increased by at least 50 percent last year, according to Per Strömbäck, spokesman for trade organisation Swedish Games Industry.

• Video games dont make kids violent: study (6 Dec 11)
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The huge success of computer game Minecraft, developed by the company Mojang, is a major explanation for the industrys growth. But other game developers have also had successes, especially those developing games for Facebook and mobile phones, according to Strömbäck of the Swedish Games Industry (Dataspelsbranschen).

In the past four years, the Swedish gaming industry has doubled its turnover, reported financial newspaper E24. In 2010 the industrys turnover reached 1.2 billion kronor ($178 million).

Many of the largest developers, such as Dice, Ubisoft Massive, and Avalanche Studios, are currently advertising for new staff. But it isnt always easy to find the appropriate skills at home, Strömbäck revealed.

Weve now got members opening offices overseas in order to find more labour, he said to news agency TT.

Another problem for Swedish game developers is finding funding for their projects, according to Strömbäck.

IDG News Service – Asetek this week revived the promise of bringing liquid cooling to laptops, which the company is pitching as an alternative to noisy fans.

Air fans cool most of laptops today, but the heat they generate has been increasing as computers become faster. Fans are also spinning faster to dissipate heat, making laptops noisier. Asetek said the new liquid-cooling technology is a more efficient system than fans, and will allow PC makers to use faster processors while making laptops quieter.

The companys liquid-cooling system is most relevant to gaming laptops, which can generate excess heat through strain on the GPUs (graphics processing units) and overclocked CPUs, Asetek said.

PC makers are trying to overcome thermal management and system cooling challenges as laptops take over from desktops, said Dean McCarron, principal analyst at Mercury Research.

A typical way to fix it is to make laptops bigger and throw [in] more fans. But thats a contrary way to why people want laptops, McCarron said.

Under Aseteks approach, all the components are connected through one liquid-cooling system that extracts heat as chips are stressed. Sharing cooling systems across components like CPUs and GPUs is a more efficient way to dissipate heat, Asetek said. Usually CPUs and GPUs have their own heat sinks and do not share cooling resources.

In a video demonstration, the company showed Dells Alienware M18X laptop with an Intel Core 2920XM processor running at 3.5GHz and an Advanced Micro Devices Radeon graphics card. The company was able to overclock the CPU to 4.4Ghz from 3.5GHz, and the GPU to 800MHz from 680Mhz. The liquid-cooling system connected all cooling systems and was able to dissipate the excess heat generated by the strained components without baking the laptop.

Current laptop designs mostly place the CPU and GPU on opposite edges of a motherboard from where the heat can be easily flushed through vents on the sides, McCarron said. Placing the chips next to each other puts excessive heat on each component. But with liquid cooling, motherboard designers have the flexibility to put the CPU and GPU anywhere, which could result in smaller laptop designs.

But liquid cooling is expensive and limited to a specific audience of enthusiasts, while air-cooling technology is cheaper and easier to implement, McCarron said. Liquid cooling also draws more power, which partly defeats the purpose of buying a laptop.

The [liquid-cooling] thermal solution does nothing about fixing the battery, McCarron said.

Asetek is targeting the technology at high-performance laptops, desktops, workstations and all-in-ones. This is not the first time liquid cooling is being offered in laptops.

Hitachi introduced a liquid-cooled laptop in 2002 that used a water tank to dissipate heat. The water-based system absorbed heat by running through a tube placed over chips. The laptop, called Flora, was priced at US$2,941 and had a mobile Intel Pentium 4 processor with a clock speed of 1.8GHz, 128MB of RAM, a 20GB hard drive and a 15-inch LCD screen.

Enthusiast PC makers also offer liquid cooling with the desktop gaming systems, and IBM has implemented liquid cooling at the Aquasar water-cooled supercomputer which is being used at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich.

Agam Shah covers PCs, tablets, servers, chips and semiconductors for IDG News Service. Follow Agam on Twitter at @agamsh. Agams e-mail address is agam_shah@idg.com

Stuart said that the notion that games only deal with fantasy scenarios such as alien invasions is outmoded, as real subjects are regularly covered, including science, engineering, philosophy and morality. This is abundantly true, and there are numerous examples of games that cover serious issues, such as the harrowing loss of a child in PS3 title Heavy Rain. But an artistic medium often gains cross-over social importance by creating resonance that goes beyond just its audience. So where are the games that will bring genuine social change, just like Cathy Come Home all those years ago?

Stuart feels that one of the key advantages of games is the ability to model complex behaviours and relationships in an engaging manner, often seen best in strategy titles. For example, environmental issues are well covered in titles such as Spore, From Dust, and global warming game Fate of the World, while politics, war and morality are dealt with in Civilization, Populous and Sim City.

He believes that an important shift is coming not in the type of games, but in the approach of studios. It is possible, he said, to harness mass participation of gaming for the greater good, giving the example of WeTopia. The Facebook game, made by Sojo Studios, involves players building their own virtual city and spending an in-game currency called joy, which in turn benefits real-world charities, such as Save the Children.

While Stuart stressed that games are able to make deep connections with a broad audience, he noted that long development cycles, particularly for the bigger-budget titles, can make it difficult for them to actually mirror real life.

For games to connect with the audience, to have the resonance with an increasingly mainstream game-playing public, the games need to be relevant, he said. Large-scale simulation games, such as SimCity, look to recreate life as we know it as a means to increase the impact of the experience. Games like LA Noire or Heavy Rain place emphasis on the realism of characters and attempt to convey real emotion to create empathy with the audience. One of the biggest challenges for a game designer is the speed at which games can be created to mirror life.

Good work is already being done on creating strategies to drive down the costs of production for studios and companies, in order to free them up to pursue more challenging and complex ideas. This includes a new Game-o-Matic authoring tool put forward at Games Developers Conference by Ian Bogost, a professor in digital media at the Georgia Institute of Technology and founding partner at Persuasive Games, that can help create simple, short-form games about current events or other topics. So all the core elements are there to make ambitious titles (and, indeed, many studios are already doing so), but is the appetite there to take this onto the big stage?