If you follow VentureBeat but don’t regularly check our GamesBeat site, here’s a list of the best video game stories we ran over the last seven days that you may have missed.
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You’ll also find reviews for Resident Evil 6, FIFA 13, and Bad Piggies, as well was previews for Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, Skylanders Giants, and Medal of Honor: Warfighter.
News:
- The DeanBeat: Raptr’s gamer data shows that building real communities pays off in profits (it’s the community, stupid)
- Words With Friends co-creators leave Zynga
- Rovio teases Star Wars-themed Angry Birds
- Loot Drop reveals RPG storyline on Kickstarter
- Photo gallery of Skylanders creator Toys for Bob studio
- Activision gives Skylanders Giants the mega-investment treatment
- Zynga ‘pre-announces’ weak earnings again for third quarter
- Full Mario, Zelda, and Star Fox retail titles headed to 3DS eShop
- The 3DS eShop’s best game, Pushmo, gets a sequel in Crashmo
- AppFlood is one of the fastest growing developer-to-developer ad networks
- Kixeye fires four after investigation into allegations of racism
- Dishonored isn’t a Choose Your Own Adventure game, but this trailer is
- Artillery aims to make web browsers into game consoles (exclusive)
- Cliff Bleszinski leaves Epic Games
- Bethesda hires former Star Wars: The Old Republic executive producer to run new Austin studio
- George Washington stars as the villain in Assassin’s Creed III extra content
- Patch notes: Minecraft Xbox 360 Edition update includes Creative Mode, strongholds, and dozens more
- Game veterans launch a two-fer ‘old-school RPG’ game on Kickstarter
- Kixeye takes ‘substantial corrective action’ after black contractor calls out alleged racist behavior at social gaming firm
- Notch to Callaham: ‘Thanks for the personal attack’ (UPDATED)
- Ubisoft continues support for Ghost Recon: Future Soldier with new multiplayer maps
- Resident Evil 6′s science is not just for ‘old men in tweed suits’
- Buy certain games on the 3DS eShop, get Donkey Kong: Original Edition free
- Possible box art appears for the unconfirmed Star Wars: First Assault Xbox Live Arcade game
- Mass Effect trilogy on Xbox 360 won’t include any of the paid DLC
- Aaargh! KingsIsle Entertainment’s Pirate101 online game world to launch as early as Oct. 8
- Maingear launches a 17-inch gaming laptop with free custom paint jobs
- What were the cheapest and most expensive consoles in gaming history? (infographic)
Mobile news:
- Angry Birds maker Rovio plans to reveal its mobile book app
- Battlefield 3 graphics for mobile? EA has developer DICE on the job
- Directly record your iPhone games with Kamcord
MMO news:
Interviews:
- How animators bring Skylanders Giants to life (video interview)
- How Toys for Bob turned Activision into a giant toy company with Skylanders (interview)
Reviews:
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- FIFA Soccer 13 strives for perfection through gameplay imperfection (review)
- Bad Piggies is a painfully challenging departure from Angry Birds (review)
- Resident Evil 6 thrives on its silliness but stumbles when things get serious (review)
- Pokémon Black and White Versions 2 take few risks but still offer classic thrills (review)
Previews:
- Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance may need to rise above its surprisingly conventional design (hands-on preview)
- How animators bring Skylanders to life (video interview)
- Medal of Honor: Warfighter wants to be ‘Saving Private Ryan meets Hurt Locker,’ but its gameplay is in the way (hands-on preview)
- Activision gives Skylanders Giants the all-in, mega-investment treatment (hands-on preview)
- Giant robots with frickin’ laser beams: MechWarrior Online closed beta (hands-on preview)
- Will Call of Duty: Black Ops Declassified lure gamers to the PlayStation Vita? (hands-on preview)
- Beef up your NBA 2K13 career with Facebook and mobile apps (preview)
Pitch us in one Tweet:
- The top 10 games of ‘Pitch us in one Tweet’ (#2: Colour Bind)
- The top 10 games of ‘Pitch us in one Tweet’ (#3: Hackycat)
- The top 10 games of ‘Pitch us in one Tweet’ (#4: Ring Run Circus)
- The top 10 games of ‘Pitch us in one Tweet’ (#5: Dunk Dreams)
Pieces of flair:
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- Gaming art for your Twitter header (Part 4: It came from Japan)
- A insider’s photo tour of the Toys for Bob game studio, where Skylanders are born (photo gallery)
- Gaming art for your Twitter header (Part 3: PC)
- Steampunk NES’s creator spent 20 hours on the coolest gift a nephew ever got (gallery)z
- Gaming art for your Twitter header (Part 2: Popular franchises)
- Gaming art for your Twitter header (Part 1: The modern era)
- Mmm…10 video game cakes and other sweets (gallery)
- 15 bizarre Street Fighter Alpha mysteries