Working at Raptr, I see video games come and go. I see games get hyped up, explode, then disappear – however, once in a while I see a game stay. So it got me thinking, what makes people keep coming back? Does a developer/publisher strive to make sales or provide replayability? Here’s what I looked at. Disclaimer: I am not a professional research analyst, just a Community Manager and gamer that watches trends.

So the game that brought about my sudden inner analyst was Battlefield 1943. I read all over the place about Battlefield 1943 shattering records and causing server crashes. I let a few weeks pass, and this is what I saw:

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Looks like some people are still playing it, but it is no where near it’s server crashing status. Looks like people have gotten a little bored of it. So I looked at other XBLA games. Next stop, Monkey Island: (more…)

Another week is ending but gaming news never ends! Square Enix released another countdown clock with VII on it, but the art hints at some other game. One of the senior staff working on The Agency left to start a new studio – SOE claims the game will not be effected. Guitar Hero 5 will allow your avatars to rock in game. Capcom saw record growth for Q1 thanks to Resident Evil and Monster Hunter. Demigod demo is finally released. Sony reports huge loss in revenue for Q1. Pre-order Tony Hawk Ride or Blur and get exclusive pre-order content. Wolfenstein multiplayer info revealed. PS3s now 70% cheaper to manufacture – from about $800 to $240 (price drop please?). New DSi update blocks flash card devices such as R4s.

About One Paragraph Gaming News: Want to know about video game news but don’t have the time to look through all the news sites? Raptr has you covered. OPGN gives all the big industry news in one bite-size paragraph.

Last week we released our multi-network IM client. This week we have added a few features as well as improved performance. One of the biggest complaints was the inability to rename a contact – well now you can.

We have added many more features. Here is just some of the change log:
· Automatically add contacts to Service group name if no group found (ie gtalk contacts in Gtalk group)
· Allow On/off option for “via http://raptr.com” Client Preference (called “Promote Raptr”)
· New Beta Feedback link so you can just suggest stuff to us in one click! (In Help menu)
· Close button on system bar activity notifications
· and More!

You can see the rest on your Raptr client or in our forums. Check it out for yourself! The Raptr client is only going to get better!

After a week since the release of our new client, the results are in for the most popular pokes. Here are the top 10 pokes, in the style of David Letterman.

10. Eat
9. Zerg Rush
8. Heal
7. Shoryuken
6. Headshot
5. Throw Barrel
4. Roundhouse Kick
3. Pwn
2. Throw Poop
1. Poke

I’m sad to see Katamari isn’t up there. We will be adding more – it’d be great to hear your suggestions! Don’t know how to poke? Check out our Tips and Tricks.

Lets get down to gaming news business. The DS is getting piano add-on – too tiny to play anything but nursery rhymes. Pong creator is working on sci-fi RTS/FPS game. Slow DS sales – Nintendo admits iPhone as competitor. Microsoft explains concurrent digital and physical game releases are not even close to ready. Chances are high that Starcraft 2 might be delayed to 2010. The complete Guitar Hero 5 track set released. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 for PC will not have Prestige or Hardened Editions. DSi gets Facebook photo sharing… in Japan. EA confirms Fedor in their upcoming MMA game. Warhammer Online is coming for the Mac soon.

About One Paragraph Gaming News: Want to know about video game news but don’t have the time to look through all the news sites? Raptr has you covered. OPGN gives all the big industry news in one bite-size paragraph.