Kabam buys Phoenix Age, iOS 7.1 highlights IAPs, and 10 developers reshaping the industry

Last week's top five stories

• 1 We want to make developers' lives better: Helgason and Laakkonen lift the lid on Unity's move for Applifier

  

  The industry was left with plenty of questions following Unity's acquisition of monetisation platform Applifier - a deal which saw Unity add video sharing platform Everyplay to its arsenal.

  Don't worry though, because we had the chance to get some answers from two people overflowing with inside knowledge: Unity CEO David Helgason, and Applifier CEO Jussi Laakkonen.

  "We love Unity, because it's a tool to help developers become successful, but there are in-house, open source, and commercial engines that serve specific needs and we know that we can't serve every single need," expained Helgason.

  "We can serve most needs, but those who can't be served by Unity should still have access to Unity and GameAds.

  "Everyplay's already supporting multiple engines and, going forward, we want to invest more in that, not less."

  
  

• 2 Kabam acquires RPG dev Phoenix Age for a rumoured $90 million

  

  Last week, free-to-play expert Kabam revealed it had acquired Phoenix Age, a neighbouring developer that also resides in the Bay Area.

  Phoenix Age has a great track record when it comes to creating social role-playing games with longevity, and Kabam can now look forward to merging the developer's portfolio with its own.

  "We couldn't be more excited about joining Kabam," said Edwin Shew, co-founder of Phoenix Age.

  "Becoming part of their team instantly gives us the expertise, experience and infrastructure to scale our games to a global level we couldn't achieve independently."

  
  

• 3 iOS 7.1 update adds in-app purchase warnings to search results

  

  IAPs have been a thorn in Apple's side from the moment it started offering them in the App Store. However, that looks to be changing right about now.

  Apparently no longer content with letting F2P games roam around the App Store unchecked, Apple launched an App Store guide to explain IAPs to parents, while it has also created a special refund system for families - a move that should stop lawsuits landing on its doorstep.

  And now Apple has seen fit to highlight F2P games in the search results themselves, meaning that freemium games now have nowhere to hide - as long as you've upgraded to iOS 7.1, that is.

  
  

• 4 10 developers that are reshaping the global mobile industry

  

  In January PocketGamer.biz published the annual Global Markets report, which highlighted 10 massive regions where the mobile industry is currently thriving.

  We didn't want to stop there though.

  No, we went one step further and mined data and expert opinion on regions established and emerging, in order to see which studios are currently leading the pack, and shaping the future of the mobile games industry.

  Who has made it into the coveted top 10? Don't ask me, I'd hate to spoil the surprise.

  
  

• 5 Updated: Pocket Gamer's ultimate GDC 2014 party guide

  

  I imagine most of you are reading this while you frantically run around GDC in a frenzy of excitement and panic.

  You are? Great, because I've got a feeling that this article is just what the doctor (didn't) order (at least, your liver doctor).

  Allow me to introduce you to Pocket Gamer's ultimate GDC 2014 party guide, which will let you know where you can relax after a long day on the show floor.

  If you're looking to take a break after the chaos of GDC, or simply wow colleagues with your unique take on dancing, head on over to the party guide right now to find out where to be when the sun sets over San Francisco.