Start your week right, with our quick take on the stories that are impacting the mobile industry right now.
To help get you primed and ready for another week in mobile gaming, we’ve curated the biggest stories you need to know from the last seven days.
1) With the beta period over, what's next for Supercell’s newest soft launch, mo.co
Supercell’s beta test of inter-dimensional monster hunting game mo.co has come to an end, with players’ first taste of the game now over. While eagerly anticipating the next bite, there’s plenty to glean from the initial trial with heaps of information gathered and discussions to be had around what worked and what didn’t.
As for its gameplay, mo.co showed itself to be a true RPG, taking the core approach over casual with skills and weapons to grind and upgrade, classic player roles like healer and defender, and team-based gameplay a must when taking on the strongest enemies.
With the beta having focused on PvE rather than Supercell’s staple PvP, there’s a lot to speculate when it comes to this title’s monetisation, if it even meets the studio’s high standards for a full release...
2) Gardenscapes joins forces with alternative game distribution platform Catappult
Alternative distribution and monetisation platform Catappult has added Playrix’s Gardenscapes to its ever-expanding catalogue, enabling a new audience to access the game and boost its outreach in new and existing markets.
Gardenscapes has already achieved more than 100 million downloads worldwide with attractive visuals and Match3 gameplay, and the new partnership will only increase those numbers, granting Playrix access to Catappult’s suite of services including user acquisition, marketing, localisation and customer support.
The partnership is just one example of the importance game makers are placing on alternative app stores in the modern mobile landscape.
3) Unity set for more layoffs amid “painful” reset
In its first financial press report since the Runtime Fee fiasco, Unity has altered its plans going forward and is looking to adjust after "doing too much". Such adjustments will likely include layoffs, closed offices and discontinued products.
This is part of a "painful" rest at Unity, interim CEO Jim Whitehurst has said.
Unity is likely to conduct layoffs, discontinue products and close offices amid a “painful” reset of the company’s operations, says interim CEO Jim Whitehurst. Looking ahead, focuses will include the Unity Editor, Runtime and Monetisation Solutions, and AI.
4) Animoca Brands partners with Saudi Arabia in $50M deal to bring Web3 to NEOM
The NEOM Investment Fund has pledged $50 million towards building a Web3 enterprise service with Animoca Brands, supporting a new project and fostering a strategic partnership with two $25 million investments.
A key part of their vision is to create a Web3 hub in NEOM with global application that will leverage Animoca’s partners, subsidiaries and portfolio.
5) Games livestreaming start-up Noice raises $21 million
In an aim to blend competition and cooperation in gaming, Noice has raised $21 million in a Series A round. Its games livestreaming platform is launching a closed beta soon that will allow users to play while they watch.
Noice is led by former Unity executive VP Jussi Laakkonen, with Unity’s former principal software engineer Jaakko Lukkari also on board, as is former Yousician VP of business and analytics Ville Hovatta. Investors included F4 Fund, Bitkraft, Team Builder Ventures, Sedona Holdings, and Supercell CEO Ilkka Paananen.
