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Mobile gaming to be worth $41 billion by 2017, 12 funding tips, and whatever happened to tablet gaming?

Last week's top 5 stories

Mobile gaming to be worth $41 billion by 2017, 12 funding tips, and whatever happened to tablet gaming?

Welcome to PocketGamer.biz's weekly rundown of the stories clocking up the hits, picking up the click-throughs and generally keeping the advertisers and editor happy by serving up page views.

Or, if you'd prefer, the top five stories currently dominating our readers' attention.

Each week, we'll be counting down the biggest news from the previous seven days, giving just a glimpse of the industry's big issues, from five to one.


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  • 5 The Riccitiello riddle: Does CEO switch signal change in direction for Unity?

    The Riccitiello riddle: Does CEO switch signal change in direction for Unity? logo

    Understandably, there's been a lot of speculation following John Riccitiello's appointment as Unity CEO.

    Some people believe the switch is a sign that the firm is still planning on selling, while others, such as our very own Keith Andrew, are suggesting it's now more likely that the company will try its hand on the stock market.

    "Perhaps, you might speculate, Riccitiello's role is to prepare Unity for its next chapter in a manner that was beyond the curiously entrancing Helgason," said Andrew.

    "Had this move happened weeks ago – before Unity went on record to deny it was looking to sell up – the word “acquisition” would have probably featured prominently in any editorials or columns that followed.

    "If Unity is telling the truth, however, and it isn't looking to sell, then what benefits would a suit like Riccitiello bring to the table?


  • 4 Retail virtual reality: What does it need, and where the hell is it?

    Retail virtual reality: What does it need, and where the hell is it? logo

    If you've spent any time on the internet, and particularly YouTube, over the past couple of years, you'll be well aware that there's plenty of excitement, and dare I say optimism, surrounding the future of VR.

    Unfortunately, the internet is still the place people go to get their VR fix, largely because watching someone else use devices such as the Oculus Rift is the closest that the majority of consumers will ever get to owning one themselves.

    See, for all of their promise, dedicated head mounted displays continue to keep their distance from the retail world.

    So, because it looks like we're not as close to VR as many people would have us believe, we asked our Wearables Mavens what it'll take to get VR devices consumer ready.

    My big three reasons why there hasn't been a consumer product is because the tech isn't quite ready for everyone, the right input device hasn't been finalised, and because there isn't enough compelling content yet," said VR and AR developer, Tipatat Chennavasin.

    "VR is hard to get right. And when getting it wrong results in nausea and discomfort that can taint VR for generations to come, it's important to get it right, and Oculus knows this."


  • 3 Fast-growing and canabalistic, the mobile games market will be worth $41 billion by 2017

    Fast-growing and canabalistic, the mobile games market will be worth $41 billion by 2017 logo

    Market research outfit Newzoo's most recent quarterly report has predicted that global mobile game revenue will reach $25 billion in 2014.

    Such strong year-on-year growth means that mobile games are on track to overtake the console market in terms of revenue by 2015.

    Newzoo analyst Vincent van Deelen also believes that the new forecast undermines those who still claim that the mobile market is becoming saturated, particularly in the west.

    “With the public release of these new forecasts, Newzoo is deliberately countering the sentiment aired in recent months that the mobile gaming market is becoming saturated in mature Western markets, especially the US. This is simply not the case," he explained.

    "It is not in our interest to inflate market figures, but the hard facts have forced us to adjust our estimates upward. We have maintained our year-on-year growth rates toward 2017, ultimately leading to a $40Bn+ market in 2017."


  • 2 iPads, iPads everywhere, so whatever happened to tablet gaming?

    iPads, iPads everywhere, so whatever happened to tablet gaming? logo

    Are tablets themselves stifling tablet gaming?

    It's a curious notion, but it's one that PocketGamer.biz regular Carter Dotson believes could hold some answers.

    Tablets, suggests Dotson, need to evolve before tablet gaming finally fulfils its potential. At the moment, tablet titles really are just scaled up versions of their phone counterparts, and that's a big problem.

    "Tablets will always be the awkward middle child unless things change," explained Dotson.

    "Apple has zero incentive to change the status quo that it created, particularly since it can sell you a phone, tablet, and a computer.

    "Part of the problem is also to do with tablet hardware. Apple made it so that the iPad is about as powerful as the iPhone - and it's been a very profitable decision. It's also encouraged competitors to aim at a similar level of power or less, to undercut Apple on price.

    "In contrast, you could get something like the Surface Pro or Razer Edge, which are extremely powerful devices – to the point of being ridiculous – when you compare them to an iPad."


  • 1 12 tips for getting your game funded

    12 tips for getting your game funded logo

    Finding funding to make a game is never easy.

    An incomprehensible number options combined with vast seas of paperwork means bringing enough cash together to get an idea off the ground can be a nightmarish task.

    Fortunately, Picnic Games' David Amor was on hand at Games Funding Forum 2014 to ease your pain and talk you through some of the available.

    Amor, who used to work at EA giving potential projects the thumbs up, or thumbs down, is a man who knows how to navigate the financial minefield, so you might want to grab a pen and paper.

    “There's dumb money and there's smart money," explained Amor.

    "Dumb money comes from investors who don't add anything apart from the cash, but smart money comes from people who are in the industry, and who can actually add value to your firm.

    “The value of smart money is infinitely higher than dumb money received from friends or family. Know the difference.”


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What do you call someone who has an unhealthy obsession with video games and Sean Bean? That'd be a 'Chris Kerr'. Chris is one of those deluded souls who actually believes that one day Sean Bean will survive a movie. Poor guy.