Sony is beginning to take mobile gaming more seriously

Sony is taking another step into the mobile games space with the formation of ForwardWorks, a first-party development studio focused on the mobile space. The new developer will work exclusively on creating games for mobile consumption. ForwardWorks will be based in Tokyo, Japan, which has become one of the largest and most lucrative markets in mobile gaming, and will be a wholly-owned Sony subsidiary. Backed by Sony, ForwardWorks may develop games that are based on franchises that exist in Sony’s portfolio.

Consumers want developers to move away from dubious microtransaction model

What games ForwardWorks will be developing specifically is not yet known. Some consumers have expressed hope that the developer will shy away from conventional business practices in the mobile gaming space, such as microtransactions. In-game purchases are quite popular among gamers, but they still take issue with the fact that they can play a game for free but have to pay for additional content. Consumers have taken issue with microtransactions because they effectively gate content, preventing people from playing supposedly free games without spending money. Microtransactions also provide some players with in-game advantages over others, which many people consider to be unfair.

Mobile gaming market continues to expand, reaching $25 billion in revenue last year

The mobile gaming space is growing quickly. The mobile space is now the largest gaming segment overall, having generating $25 billion in revenue in 2015. This has made the mobile space very attractive to companies like Sony, who have a longstanding position within the game industry. These companies had traditionally focused on traditional gaming, either through game consoles or computers, but the advent of mobile technology has forced these developers to shift their focus.

Sony to continue focusing on console and PC games, but will support the mobile space

Sony will not abandon the traditional gaming space, but will be showing more support for mobile games in the future. ForwardWorks will face strong competition from various other developers that have already established a foothold in the mobile space, but the developer may find success by leveraging the power of Sony’s existing intellectual properties.

For people who wonder what types of trees surround them in these green spaces, quick response codes will help.

In Murrysville, Pennsylvania, it’s becoming easier to get to know the types of trees that share their clean air, shade and gorgeous green color, as QR codes are being added to these green spaces to identify the various species.

Nature enthusiasts carrying smartphones will be able to scan the quick response codes for more information.

The QR codes are being added to the signage by the Friends of Murrysville Parks. The barcode tags have been placed onto park signs so that visitors to the area can use their smartphones to scan the codes and inform themselves about the types of trees that can be found throughout the green spaces. A scan automatically directs a user to one of the webpages hosted by the municipality and that have been created to provide information about the different types of trees that can be found throughout the parks.

At the start of the project, there are four QR codes being added to Duff Park, and five going into Townsend Park.

This, however, will be only the start of the program. With the initial launch, the nine codes in the two parks will get things started. However, it looks as though this will be expanded into more codes and additional parks over time.

Originally, the intention had been to build a gazebo with the municipality’s funds for Duff Park. However, the Friends of Murrysville Parks decided that it would be more appealing to launch a project that would provide tree identification.

A couple of local students were brought in by the Friends as interns and they studied the existing signage. They researched the trees and decided that adding QRcode tags would be the easiest way to update the black locust wood sign posts that are already there, hardy and rot-resistant, but that would now be able to provide far more information when scanned by smartphones.

The Friends are expecting that these QR codes will be receiving a considerable amount of use, particularly considering that Duff Park is likely the busiest of Murrysville’s eleven parks.