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No April fooling, this issue of PLAYED comes screaming into spring with a heaping helping of insight and info that would make even the angriest of birds grin.

This month, we look at the exponential growth of the Angry Birds franchise and what it means for mobile gaming developers across the industry. Also, we see what lessons can be learned from the recent hiatus of the Guitar Hero brand which, until now, was one of the most popular gaming series in the world. Coming out of the annual Game Developer Conference, we analyze the growing debate over the value of social games, both to users and developers trying to decipher its success. Finally, we examine the trend of “gaming the system,” or exploiting a program to gain an edge. As our marketing programs become more interactive, is this something we should be aware of and how can we utilize this behavior for more interesting participation?

Denuo’s PLAYED staffers are romantics through and through.  That said, instead of a bundle of roses, we crafted this sweet-smelling bouquet of gaming insights and news, gently placed around titles involving science-fiction terror, Russian stacking dolls, and 3D tech, delivered straight into the palm of your hand.  You can feel the love, can’t you?

In this month’s issue, we look beyond the third dimension of Nintendo’s new 3DS handheld.  While everyone is agog over glasses-less 3D, the handheld brings even more functionality to the social and casual game spaces than first thought.  On the mobile gaming side, we check out the big, exclusive steps that Google’s Android mobile OS platform has taken to move into gamers’ hearts and minds.  Meanwhile, we examine Facebook’s virtual currency market shake-up with the rollout of Facebook Credits and its effects on the social gaming space, and wrap things up with a couple Denuologists weighing in on EA’s marketing effort for their latest hit, Dead Space 2.

….and we’re back! Last year saw the gaming industry grow in unexpected ways, from social gaming to the rise of digital distribution. 2011 looks to be another year of innovation, business development, and, of course, great games. That said, this issue of PLAYED takes 2011 to task, asking both how and where we’ll all be gaming over the next year, while also recapping and prognosticating about the ever-shifting social gaming space. Also, since the year is getting off to a splendid start for blockbuster titles, we look at how gamers are utilizing unique and innovative ways to try games before plunking down their hard-earned cash well beyond the video store shelf.

“Life is a videogame.”

The electronic voice of Joshua, a rogue AI in the movie classic Wargames, has been echoing in my head for over 25 years.  Even though ol’ never said that in the movie, it used to amuse me to “hear” it said as I noticed a mechanic in life that paralleled the experiences I was having in front of my computer or console.  I’ve never escaped the feeling (or the voice), and the current excitement over gamification — of products, of marketing, of life — is a welcome addition to the dialogue around innovation.  If you’re one of our clients, you’ve perhaps rolled your eyes while I went on about gamification.  If you’re one of my friends, you definitely have.  Eye-rolling is for spouses and art-school contrarians.

The latest issue of PLAYED is NOT in another castle, nor is it stuck in a warp pipe somewhere. It’s here, live, and ready to deliver another helping of gaming-related insight. Think of it as a power-up mushroom for your marketing mind.

This month, we dive into mobile gaming, taking a closer look at how your phone will be the next battleground for social gaming networks and the marketing innovations that come with them. Also, Super Mario Bros. turns 25 years old this month and we celebrate how Nintendo’s most stalwart brand has reinvented the company time and time again. Speaking of reinvention, read about Sony’s success with PlayStation this year, thanks, hilariously, in part to one Kevin Butler, Sony’s VP of…well, everything. Finally, with gaming becoming a hot-button political issue, we look at how gamers and developers are taking action and informing voters about issues related to their rights.