Scopely eyes M&A activity, Candy Crush Friends Saga launch closes in, and Big Fish layoffs
The past week saw The Walking Dead: Road to Survival publisher Scopely swoop for Glu Mobile’s head of business and corporate development Rob Ricca.
In his new role as Scopely's own VP of corporate development, Ricca will head up M&A activity at the company. The move certainly drummed up some interest among our readers as it placed the story top of our most read list.
Following on, in the past week we also learned that a new game based on the Candy Crush IP, Friends Saga, is headed our way in October.
Big Fish, Dragon Ball Legends and Telltale
Elsewhere, social casino games developer Big Fish Games cut 15 per cent of its staff just eight months after it was bought over by Aristocrat Leisure for close to $1 billion.
Rounding off, Dragon Ball Legends has generated an estimated $65 million in revenue since launching last May, and Telltale’s former CEO and co-founder remarked it was a “sad, sad day” when news broke of the studio's mass layoffs and imminent closure.
#1: Scopely swoops for Glu’s Rob Ricca to lead M&A activity
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Scopely swoops for Glu’s Rob Ricca to lead M&A activity »Another week has meant another new face for Scopley.
The publisher has welcomed Rob Ricca to its ranks as VP of corporate development.
Prior to the role, Ricca served as Glu Mobile's head of business and corporate development.
At Scopely, he'll spearhead the company's M&A activity, seeking out potential partners across the globe as it looks to grow its business.
#2: Candy Crush Friends Saga takes one of mobile gaming's hottest IPs 3D in October
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Candy Crush Friends Saga takes one of mobile gaming's hottest IPs 3D in October »Those familiar with our illustrious soft launch list will already be in the know about King's Candy Crush Friends Saga.
The latest iteration of King's popular franchise has been getting tweaked and worked on since May of last year.
Just last week, however, news broke that King would be launching Candy Crush Friends Saga to the world on October 11th, assumingly happy with how it' shaped up.
The title adds 3D graphics and character-based special moves to the usual match-three formula. New game modes meanwhile include ‘dunk the cookie in the chocolate’ and ‘free the octopuses and the mammoths’.
#3: Big Fish Games cut 15% of workforce eight months after $1 billion takeover
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Big Fish Games cut 15% of workforce eight months after $1 billion takeover »News broke last week that US-based publisher Big Fish Games laid off 15 per cent of its staff as it sought to turn around its fortunes by focusing solely on social casino and casual games.
According to a memo from president Jeff Karp, obtained by GeekWire, the move is aimed at refocusing the company's efforts on fewer projects.
It should be noted that the exact number of those affected is currently unknown.
However, Big Fish had told GeekWire in July that it had 735 employees in total, with 630 in Seattle alone.
#4: Dragon Ball Legends strikes up $65 million in revenue worldwide
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Dragon Ball Legends strikes up $65 million in revenue worldwide »Bandai Namco’s mobile punch-up Dragon Ball Legends has brought in worldwide revenue of over $65 million.
According to Sensor Tower estimates, the title is continuing to grow steadily, having brought in over 1.9 million new players in August alone.
Between September 3rd and 10th, Dragon Ball Legends saw a 25 per cent increase in downloads.
It's not a bad follow-up for the already hugely successful Dragon Ball Z: Dokkan Battle, which shows little sign of a decline in face of the new release.
#5: “I'm mostly saddened for the people who are losing their jobs”: Ousted Telltale CEO speaks out on studio closure
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“I'm mostly saddened for the people who are losing their jobs”: Ousted Telltale CEO speaks out on studio closure »Amid the various updates and stories of Telltale's closure in the previous week, company co-founder and ousted CEO Kevin Bruner issued a statement on his own feelings surrounding the closure.
Writing on his blog, Bruner that despite the personal differences that led to his exit, he was proud of the work the company achieved, especially in defining the narrative genre and tackling projects no one else would.
He only vaguely touched upon claims of crunch conditions but went on to share words of praise for the Telltale staff, calling them the most talented people he had ever known.
“We were equally passionate about making sure our employees always had a home,” wrote Bruner.
“Prior to my leaving, we were able to avoid sweeping layoffs and (somehow) managed to ensure that we always had work for everyone."