Layoffs hit Rovio, DeNA drops Mobage, and we explain how Windows 10 can earn full marks
Funding news dominated the headlines this week, with Stolen Couch Games, adtech startup Remerge, and Danish outfit Hugo Games receiving $315,000, $1 million, and $4 million respectively.
Over in the east. Spellgun considered why Chinese gamers are demanding more pay-to-win games, while Japanese social mobile gaming network DeNA dropped its Mobage platform brand
No, we never knew how to pronounce it, either!
We also found out how well (or not) Crazy Taxi: City Rush has been monetising, while PocketGamer.biz's resident Windows expert Keith Andrew revealed how Windows 10 can earn full marks.
As always, there's plenty more news in the sea, so find yourself a steak knife and prepare to devour this week's succulent 12oz Week That Was.
Industry Voices
- Appsfire claimed its decision to become a fully fledged ad network earlier in the year has been 'validated', following the news that major publishers have jumped on board.
- Chinese mobile gamers want more pay-to-win games according to a localisation expert.
- We found out if Peopletime is the most ambitious smartwatch game in development?
- Our very own Keith Andrew explained how Windows 10 can earn full marks.
- Spanner considered whether Samsung or Oculus was the winner in the companies' partnership.
- In its second developer diary, Pixelberry spoke about how its tutorial saved High School Story's totally naive soft launch.
- Oscar Clark argued that face-to-face interaction is important for building community.
User acquisition, retention, and discovery
- In our most recent Charticle we found out how well Crazy Taxi: City Rush monetised.
- Adknowledge provided 7 steps to crushing your next app campaign.
- Rob Grossberg, CEO of HTML5 game distribution platform TreSensa, revealed why the future of mobile game discovery lies outside of the app stores.
Monetisation
- Lima Sky has unveiled a new Doodle Jump toy line that's set to be sold exclusively through Toys "R" Us.
- FIFA flew to the top of the free charts on our weekly look at the UK App Store charts.
- Our Monetizer Mavens discussed the power and potential of card-collection mechanics for F2P mobile games.
Tools & Platforms
- In a somewhat surprising move, Japanese social mobile gaming network DeNA dropped the Mobage brand from its platform.
- Even though it feels like there's a new virtual reality head-mounted display every week, the VisusVR, which cherrypicks the best options from both of the virtual reality set-ups, has really caught out eye.
- A rumour has sprung up that Epic is preparing to make an aggressive push into the virtual reality game development arena by handing out Unreal Engine 4 licenses to Oculus Rift dev kit owners.
Funding, acquisitions, personnel and shuttering
- Angry Birds developer Rovio has laid off 16 percent of its staff due to the firm building a team based on 'assumptions of faster growth'.
- Hugo Games, the Danish developer behind the Hugo series of games starring a lovable troll, raised $4 million in a private placement.
- Mobile adtech startup Remerge lifted the lid on a $1 million seed funding round led by Point Nine Capital.
- Stolen Couch Games, the development outfit behind the upcoming Animal Crossing-inspired Castaway Paradise, received $315,000 in funding from private investors.