Wonacott, E3 and Me (Oh, and our clients at this year’s show)

by Racheal Caswell

My first E3 was in 2006. I was working for Hollywood Previews, a digital magazine, and my job was to get on-camera interviews with the people behind all the biggest games. The first day, I wore heels: Big mistake. I’d been to the Staples Center before, but I didn’t realize how big it is until I made 16 laps to get to all of my meetings in less than eight hours per day.

At that same E3 I met Jason Wonacott, who was working for Webzen at the time. Six years later, I made the move from journalist to PR professional, Jason owns Wonacott Communications – where I’ve worked for three years today – and… we’re partnered with Webzen for their first E3 appearance since 2006. Small world.

Death Tears it Up in THQ’s Newest Trailer for Darksiders II

by Kia Gilstrap

Making a Great Game Takes Time

by John Hardin

Wonacott client Creative Kingdom Inc., started with a big idea in 2009. They built Planet Cyrene, a game within Mindark's virtual world, Entropia Universe, that hinges on a real cash economy. What's a "real cash economy," you ask? It's just like it sounds. Players spend real-world money to buy in-game items. By extension, and this is where Entropia Universe stands out, it means that players can also make real-world money by selling in-game items. Planet Cyrene's twist on this was adding in player-versus-player (PvP) elements to the massively multiplayer online first-person shooter (MMOFPS). 

McDonald’s Fuels Educational Fun with Happy Studio

by Sarah Arvizo

Congratulations to our client, Fuel, who announced the launch of Happy Studio, a virtual world for kids – created in conjunction with McDonald’s Europe – that allows children to experience the fun of McDonald’s Happy Meals in a digital way! Working with parents and educators, Fuel was able to create a virtual theme park that is both safe and educational.

As a leader in global youth engagement, Fuel continues to reach kids, tweens, teens and young adults with compelling digital experiences just like this one. Check out today’s write-up on Adrants (and play the video for a virtual tour), or check out Happy Studio for yourself!

Downloadable Sports Video Games: A New Generation

by Kia Gilstrap

(Source: PlayStation Network Official Site)

There is nothing quite like the feeling when you walk into your nearest electronic store to purchase the video game of your choice. This holiday season, I was particularly satisfied with my purchase of Madden 2012, where I could virtually avenge the early playoff exit of the Green Bay Packers. Luckily, in a world that includes the PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Arcade, those days where you would have to save few weeks worth of pay checks to buy the video game of your choice may be long gone.

SG Interactive Takes Nisemonogatari to the Links in Pangya United

by John Hardin

We love a good crossover and so does (Wonacott client) SG Interactive, which just launched a set of items for its golf MMO, Pangya United, from the popular anime (that's Japanese animation for the laypersons out there...) series, "Nisemonogatari." Leading anime news site Anime News Network has all the details of the partnership, and if you're looking to take the clubs out for a spin, Pangya is free to play!

Autumn Games’ Skullgirls Out Now

by Danny Beardsworth

In case you don’t follow videogames or you’ve been living under a rock for the last several months, Skullgirls, the award-winning 2D fighting game from (Wonacott client) Autumn Games and developer Reverge Labs, is available now on both Xbox LIVE Arcade and the PlayStation Network. The reviews are in, and so far it looks likes the games enthusiast press is enjoying the game almost as much as we enjoyed working on it.

Feel Like Death: Hands-on Impressions of THQ’s Darksiders II

by Kia Gilstrap

The highly anticipated action adventure game Darksiders II  from (Wonacott client) THQ,  launches this summer, and THQ gave a group of enthusiastic gaming editors some hands-on time with the game in San Francisco on Monday.

Superheroes get Super Score in Superplay Games’ Sky Defenders

by John Hardin

Wonacott client Superplay Games tilted its way to success with its newly released iOS title, Sky Defenders. The game received 4 out of 5 stars from app review site 148Apps and earned praise for its brilliant graphics and solid tilt controls. So if you’ve ever had dreams of being a superhero, check it out on iTunes!

Celebrate Valentine’s Day with Deadly Nurse Valentine from Autumn Games’ Skullgirls

by Kia Gilstrap

Death Lives in San Francisco

by Wonacott Communications

Last week, Wonacott went up to San Francisco to staff an event for the upcoming Darksiders II. We’ve worked with THQ before – we drove the campaign for the Homefront North Korean BBQ food truck (pun intended) that caused a lot of commotion at E3 2010 and again just before the game’s launch in 2011 – and we were excited to have the chance to once again show them what we can do.

Online Entertainment Insider - Jan. 27, 2012

by Wonacott Communications

Darksiders 2 held a huge preview event in San Francisco (which we helped out on!) and the game’s previews started hitting this week. The new game reveals the second Horseman of the Apocalypse, Death, and follows his story concurrently with War’s story in the original Darksiders. It’s a really interesting “Pulp Fiction”-y approach to the sequel, and is shaping up to be a franchise in its own right and not a rehash of other titles.

Virgin Gaming, Sir Richard Branson’s foray into interactive gambling, hit a huge milestone this week with 1 million registered users, and $7 million in prizes awarded to date. Virgin Gaming allows users to place wagers on matches and is partnered with publishers including EA and Take-Two, with Madden NFL ‘12 and NBA 2k12 being among the most popular titles to bet on. 

Find out more news from around the world of digital entertainment in this week’s edition of the Online Entertainment Insider, and have a great weekend!

CES the j5create Way (and the value of Unveiled)

by John Hardin

Last week I had the chance to dust off the fancy clothes in my closet and head out to the glorious Riviera Hotel in Las Vegas. Oh, and while I was there, they let me attend this little show called the 2012 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES). 

Let me back up a little bit. Wonacott client j5create, which makes a line of PC and Mac cross-platform transfer and KM switches (technospeak for “awesome”), was debuting new products for their sophomore year at CES, and needed some help managing press appointments. Luckily I was the chosen one to help j5create navigate the crowds at the show, and after months of preparation, I found myself in Las Vegas last Saturday...

My One-Year Wonaversary: A Reflection

by Sarah Arvizo

When I stepped out into the bright sunlight, from the darkness of the movie house…oh wait. When I stepped into the office of Wonacott Communications, straight from The University of Texas’ sweet and safe embrace, I had only two things on my mind: Getting a job, and…getting a job. A year ago today, el jefe made that a reality for me.

Gift Ideas from Wonacott Clients

by Wonacott Communications

Well, it’s coming down to the wire to get gifts for the holiday season. Fortunately, Wonacott has your bases covered – thanks to some great products from our clients! So if you’re looking for some last minute gift ideas (or if you’re an editor in need a last-minute idea for a feature story. Hint, hint), then consider this our gift to you.