Gaming
Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment unveils multiple mobile games
MUMBAI: Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment has unveiled its slate of upcoming mobile game releases, showcasing diverse free-to-play and premium gaming experiences and leveraging some of the world’s most powerful franchises, including Batman, DC Comics, Mortal Kombat, the Lego brand and Game of Thrones.
“Our mobile business has been a key priority for the company, and we are utilizing our incredibly talented internal development teams to create games with marquee franchises. We’ve seen tremendous growth with our mobile business and expect to increase our market share by applying our best in class development, publishing and brand marketing to this impressive slate of games,” said Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment EVP and general manager David Haddad.
The following are five new games under development with Warner Bros.’ wholly-owned development studios:
• Mortal Kombat X, NetherRealm Studios: The game blends fighting and card collection for a whole new way to experience Mortal Kombat on mobile platforms. Featuring cinematic gameplay and visceral Fatalities, play as legendary and all-new fighters created for Mortal Kombat X. Players who also own a forthcoming console or PC version of the game will have the ability to unlock content in the mobile game and vice versa.
• Batman: Arkham Underworld, Turbine: Rule Gotham City! Build your hideout, then recruit and train an army of henchmen to do your bidding. Command iconic super-villains from the Batman: Arkham universe, including the Riddler, Harley Quinn and Killer Croc, to become Gotham City’s next criminal kingpin. Sign up for beta at www.arkhamunderworld.com.
• Lego Batman: Beyond Gotham, TT Games: The Caped Crusader joins forces with the super heroes of the DC Comics universe in this premium game and blasts off to outer space to stop the evil Brainiac from destroying Earth. Now the greatest super heroes and the most cunning villains must unite and stop Brainiac before it’s too late.
• DC Comics Legends, WB Games San Francisco: Gamers will grow their collection of legendary DC Comics super heroes and villains, customizing super teams with the right heroes for each encounter in this mobile RPG.
• Game of Thrones, Turbine: Conquer Westeros in an epic combat strategy game based on the hit television series from HBO. Prove the wit of your spies and the might of your forces on the battlefield as you extend your dominance across the seven Kingdoms. Join an alliance, rise to power, and then try to take the Iron Throne if you dare!
“In just four years, we have launched 25 games with more than 150 million installs worldwide across diverse fighting, strategy, puzzle and action adventure genres, and we will focus our business on a strong games-as-a-service model in 2015. Our line-up of strong titles will deliver deep player engagement, as well as innovation like console game connectivity with games including Mortal Kombat X and Batman: Arkham Underworld,” said Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment senior vice president, mobile, social and emerging platforms Greg Ballard.
This line-up of forthcoming games is accompanied by two titles launched earlier in 2015: WWE Immortals, which has achieved more than seven million installs since going live on15 January, and The Lego Movie Videogame for mobile devices, which delivered one of WBIE’s highest grossing launch weeks ever for a Lego mobile game.
Gaming
DPIIT partners with Krafton to boost tech-media startups
New MoU aims to accelerate innovation in gaming, esports and AI-driven entertainment.
MUMBAI: When government meets gaming, sparks are bound to fly and this time, the partnership promises to level up India’s startup scene in more ways than one. The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), under India’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry, has signed a memorandum of understanding with Krafton India Pvt. Ltd. to support early-stage startups working at the intersection of technology and media. The agreement, formalised on Thursday, reflects a growing effort by policymakers to harness private-sector expertise for the country’s booming digital entertainment ecosystem.
Under the partnership, selected startups will gain access to mentorship, industry networks and structured opportunities to engage with established players. The initiative is designed to help young companies move from prototype to market-ready products, test concepts, secure market access and integrate into larger industry ecosystems.
Sanjiv, a joint secretary at DPIIT, described the collaboration as part of a broader strategy to strengthen India’s digital and creative economy. He emphasised that such alliances are essential for helping startups develop globally competitive solutions in emerging sectors such as online gaming, esports, interactive media and artificial intelligence.
The programme will feature innovation challenges under the government’s startup initiatives, along with hackathons, workshops and masterclasses covering game design, animation, immersive technologies and AI applications. Selected startups may also be considered for pilot projects with industry partners based on their performance.
In a sector where ideas move at the speed of a battle royale, this partnership could be the ultimate power-up giving promising startups the mentorship and exposure needed to turn creative sparks into sustainable success stories.
