Chillingo on the evolution of publishing, artist files Angry Birds lawsuit, and 8 trends shaping the Chinese market

Last week's top 5 stories

• 5 Evolution of the mobile publisher: The Chillingo interview, part 1

  

  Chillingo has come a long way since it shot to fame alongside Angry Birds and Cut the Rope.

  The publisher now has the backing of industry colossus EA, giving it the kind of weight and financial clout other companies can only dream of.

  Of course, the journey from industry novice to global name didn't happen overnight, and Chillingo's general manager recently spoke to us about how the company managed to realise its dizziest daydreams.

  "We as an organisation have 100 percent had to change, people have had to change, jobs have changed – they're in new roles," said Rumley.

  And you can read Part 2 of the interview here.

  
  

• 4 Realising potential: Rovio reveals how developers can brand their way to success

  

  "How can I be successful," cried out the masses of mobile developers, scrambling over the bodies of their fallen brothers, hoping to be the last man standing.

  "Branding" replied the mobile gods, watching the swarming pile with quiet indifference.

  You see, mobile game development really is a dog-eat-dog world, and, thanks to an oversaturated mobile market, it's now harder than ever to stand out from the crowd.

  How then, can you do it? The answer, according to most, is to take your game, and turn it into a product. You have to create a service. You have to create a brand.

  It's a tough road to take, but fear not, because Rovio, undisputed masters of the branding game, were at this year's PG Connects conference to let you in on a few secrets.

  "It could be socks, it could be candy, or it could be plush toys. We've pretty much tried them all, and they're all a really cool way of extending a brand and making it available to other fans," said Marja Konttinen, marketing director at Rovio.

  "Licensees very often want to work with IPs because they give them new visibility, access to an existing fan-base, and, when it comes to consumer products, access to retailers.

  "[Partnerships] might be able to get you in front of a whole new set of eyes, that you might not have reached otherwise, but it could also open new doors, for example, into Japan."

  
  

• 3 Rising sun: Kabam's president of worldwide studios jumps ship to GREE

  

  Last week, Kabam's president of worldwide studios Andrew Sheppard made the unexpected decision to leave the company in order to join forces with mobile giant GREE.

  Sheppard's exit marked the end of a 5 year reign that saw him earn a reputation as a 'pioneer' of the mobile industry.

  "We are sorry to see Andrew leave Kabam, but we are pleased for him as he assumes a new role in the industry," said Steve Swasey, Kabam's head of global corporate communications.

  "Kabam has retained a leading global executive search firm to identify candidates for the position of president of Kabam Studios."

  
  

• 2 Artist files lawsuit after claiming her trademarked 'Angry Birds' IP was sold to Rovio illegally

  

  US artist Juli Adams has filed a lawsuit against the Hartz Mountain Corporation, claiming the company illegally sold her trademarked 'Angry Birds' pet toy line to mobile gaming giant, Rovio.

  The artist believes she has been robbed of millions of dollars worth of royalties after the firm sold her IP without permission.

  “When I was first approached, Hartz wanted me to have complete artistic freedom,” explained Adams, “I wanted to create a line of toys that looked a little roughed up by your cat."

  "I wanted to create the idea that they were characters that knew they were going to be dragged around and were upset about it. ‘Angry Birds’ seemed like the perfect name.”

  
  

• 1 China 2014: 8 trends that are shaping the world's most dynamic mobile game market

  

  The Chinese mobile market has become famous due to its enormous scale. However, according to PocketGamer.biz editor-at-large, Jon Jordan, what's more impressive about said market is the rate at which it changes.

  Never sitting still, seemingly in a state of perpetual regeneration, it's a place where mobile empires can rise and fall in the blink of an eye: a place filled with danger, but, for those who conquer it, a region rich in reward.

  It's a fascinating market, and, after spending some time on the Chinese conference circuit, our intrepid editor-at-large has spotted some notable trends.

  "One telling theme at both the GMIC Beijing 2014 and ChinaJoy 2014 conference in Shanghai was Chinese studios talking about overseas expansion, with Taiwan and south east Asia, including highly lucrative Korea, being the most easy markets to reach," said Jordan.

  "Similarly, many companies - including the likes of Snail Games and LineKong - are now planning their entrance into the North American and European markets.