games

Mobile-game sidekick apps have become a standard element of tentpole movie releases. And while such games can generate a nice chunk of change in their own right, a prime directive for studios is getting butts into theater seats. For “Ice Age: Collision Course,” 20th Century Fox cut a licensing deal with game developer Zynga to produce a match-3 game (a …

Scopely, the mobile game developer whose titles include a hit spinoff of “The Walking Dead,” announced $60 million in a Series C financing. The latest round brings Scopely to $160 million raised to date, and comes less than a year after it pulled in $55 million. The L.A.-based company says it has a valuation over $600 million and is profitable, …

“Terminator Genisys” may not be coming back to the big screen, but the cyborg franchise is set to get an all-new mobile game release next year. Skydance has inked a pact with game developer Plarium for the rights to develop a mobile game for iOS and Android based on the latest film in the “Terminator” franchise. The clan-based massively multiplayer online …

Marvel Entertainment has announced a multiyear pact with game powerhouse Square Enix for a series of video-game titles, starting with a new Avengers game — but details for now are scant. Disney-owned Marvel said more info on the Avengers game and other titles will be announced in 2018. Square Enix owns and publishes the “Final Fantasy” sci-fi/fantasy role-playing game franchise, …

“Resident Evil” fans asking themselves what next for their franchise, will be able to get in touch with their heroes through a new interactive experience “Road To Raccoon City.” The immersive experience features haptic technology from Sony combined with motion picture content from “Resident Evil – Final Chapter.” It launches this week at the CineAsia exhibitors and distributors convention in …

Twitter is going into eSports with guns blazing: The social network says it will live-stream 1,500 hours of competitive-gaming events this year under deals with ESL and DreamHack. The deal covers more than 15 events in the ESL One, Intel Extreme Masters (IEM) and DreamHack eSports circuits. The video streams will be available for free worldwide at esl.twitter.com, iem.twitter.com, and …

At a press conference on Wednesday, Sony announced the PlayStation 4 Pro and a slimmer, cheaper PlayStation 4. The PlayStation 4 Pro is a version of the PS4 that supports high dynamic range (HDR) and 4K video and releases on Nov. 10 for $399. Sony Interactive Entertainment president and CEO Andrew House said the new system will “run alongside and complement the original …

Facebook is the exclusive broadcast partner for this year’s college eSports tournament “Heroes of the Dorm” from Blizzard Entertainment — an event that was carried on ESPN2 for the last two years. The 2017 spring tournament, produced by Blizzard and Tespa, will feature “Heroes of the Storm” teams from colleges across the U.S. and Canada, giving them a chance to …

ESPN is counterprogramming against the NFL’s Super Bowl LI with the telecast of an eSports competition — the first on the sports giant’s primary TV channel — featuring pro video-gamers playing what everyone outside the U.S. calls football. On cable, ESPN will air a one-hour replay of EA’s Paris regional final of the FIFA 17 Ultimate Team Championship Series on …

A slew of Smurfs is about to swarm over smartphones in a new game — designed in part to drive fans into theaters to see the little blue beings’ new movie this weekend. Sony has launched “Smurfs Bubble Story,” a free bubble-shooter mobile game for kids and Smurfs fans of all ages who care to admit it (Sony says the game …