Apple Watch debated and GDC 2015 conclusions drawn

The unavoidable topic for this week was the reveal of the pricing tiers and release date for the much-debated Apple Watch.

We asked our Mavens what they thought of the smartwatch's chances of success, and our wearables expert gave us some ideas for using its Glance notification system in a gaming context.

Elsewhere around the site we examined the trends that emerged from GDC 2015, as well as covering how mobile fared at the recent Bafta Games Awards.

Events and awards

• We identified our 7 key trends from GDC 2015, including everything from VR to brand power.
• This year's GDC boasted a footfall of over 26,000 attendees. Dates and details for 2016 have already surfaced, too.
• The 2015 edition of The Bafta Games Awards was dominated by Monument Valley, which was up for five awards and took two home.

Industry voices

• Our exclusive serialisation of Nicholas Pendriis' game development ebook So... You Want to Make Video Games? kicked off with an introductory section, as well as chapters on Concept, Design, and Plan.
• The big question upon everybody's lips was posed to the Mobile Mavens: what can we expect from the Apple Watch, and is it an attractive proposition right now?
• We ran a piece on the making of Angry Birds Epic from project lead Ellen Lyse Einarsen.
• Our bi-weekly series of guest articles from Pixelberry Studios began with a discussion of creating narrative.

Discovery, user acquisition, retention, and monetisation

• Behaviour Interactive's Jimmy Gendron told us at GDC that the future of indie development should focus more on quality of execution, making positive experiences and reputation a less costly UA technique.
• RevMob's Pedro Jahara told us about the potential of location-based mobile advertising, in the direct targeting of consumers based on their proximity to shops and malls.
• The New York-based mobile ad platform StartApp passed 350 million monthly active users.

Tools & platforms

• We, along with everyone else, covered the news that Apple Watch will be available from 24 April - ranging in cost from $349 to $10,000.
• With the Apple Watch grabbing the headlines, we put together a list of 10 ideas of how to use the Glance function - the device's single-screen notification system - in a gaming context.
• Arxan's Jonathan Carter told us about the very real threat of intellectual theft and redistribution against mobile developers, and how they can protect against it.
• In light of Unity 5, Unreal Engine 4, and Source 2 all making themselves more accessible to indies, we asked our Indie Mavens which one offers the most appealing package right now?
• Heyzap co-founder Jude Gomila told us about the struggles of SDK fragmentation faced by developers, and how integration could be the way forward.
• The analytics firm App Annie has unveiled its new Singapore office, signalling its increased focus on Southeast Asia and India.

Funding, shuttering, and legal

• Sony announced that its PlayStation Mobile initiative will be shutting its doors 10 September.
• A landmark court ruling, which awarded $75,000 compensation to the victim of defamatory online review, has presented a potential knock-on effect to the world of app store reviews.
• Vserv completed its B round funding with an investment from Maverick Capital Ventures.
• Facebook is to face a lawsuit demanding the refund of money spent by children - without parental permission - on microtransactions.
• The Bangalore-based startup Moonfrog Labs, headed up by ex-Zynga veterans, has completed a Series A round worth $15 million.