yiah notes...

Another very interesting article from The Psychology of Video Games; this one uses SimCity Social as an example, but nicely summarizes many of the popular psychological tricks used by the so-called “social games” to trick you into playing and spending more. It also has links to additional reading on the tricks to boot.

(Source: )

Nintendo controller metamorphosis. 

via thecreatorsproject

Why did Zynga’s stock drop when Facebook went public?

Zynga went through its own private flash crash. The straight drop and rise and drop in its stock after Facebook’s IPO is the classic signature of program trading. Whatever algorithms traders were using agreed that the stock was hugely overvalued, then undervalued, then overvalued again. So they all screamed “SELL” or “BUY” at the same time. 

Then they stopped. Trading resumed at a more human pace. Why the change? One plausible explanation is that traders unloaded Zynga stock because now they could buy Facebook stock. They did so en masse — until Zynga stock fell so far that it became too cheap to resist. Then they bought it en masse — until Zynga stock rose so far that it became too expensive to resist dumping. 

(Source: soupsoup)

Via

(Source: visualoop)

»Pica Pic | Hipopotam’s digitalised collection of handheld electronic games«

Nicely done and: playable! 

Totally fun!

(Source: uvmann)

How Are Smartphones Being Used?

via textually.org

(via katelynfriedson)

The Evolution of Video Game Controllers by Pop Chart Lab

119 controllers over seven decades of gaming. Go to popchartlab.com to view a zoomable version and buy the print.

(Source: unknownskywalker)

Infographic: Mobile Gaming Statistics 2011

READ more at Digital Buzz Blog

(Source: digitalbuzzblog.com, via culturehoover)

Angry Spain.

(Source: superlopez)