The Diablo Immortal debate rages on, Flaregames lays off 45 staff, and Brawl Stars gets a global release
Helsinki’s mobile games powerhouse Supercell has finally made the call - Brawl Stars is getting a global release in December.
The industry has been rife with debate over whether the famous Finnish developer would give it a full launch - and the news it would be resulted in our most-read story of the week.
Our second most-read story was the sad news that Flaregames has laid off 45 staff and CEO Klaas Kersting has stepped down amidst a company-wide restructure.
Diablo, KPIs and Drivetime
Elsewhere, our contributing editor Jon Jordan has his say on Blizzard’s Diablo Immortal announcement and why fans may have won that battle but have ultimately lost the war.
Finally, Jam City VP Jeremy Horn delves into the KPIs needed to a successful global launch and Drivetime raises $4 million to make games for drivers.
#5: Voice-based games developer Drivetime raises $4m in funds to make games for drivers
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Voice-based games developer Drivetime raises $4m in funds to make games for drivers »Voiced-based games developer Drivetime has raised $4 million to make mobile games for car drivers.
Yes, you read that right. The start-up believes there’s a gap in the market for the 110 million US commuters who drive to and from work every day to be playing games.
It’s technically legal in a hands-free capacity, in the UK at least, as long as drivers aren’t significantly distracted.
A strange idea, perhaps, but it’s attracted investment from the likes of Zynga co-founder Mark Pincus, Applovin founder Adam Foroughi and former Japanese football star Keisuke Honda.
#4: Jam City's Jeremy Horn: If retention is below 20% on day seven "I would advise to go back to soft launch"
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Jam City's Jeremy Horn: If retention is below 20% on day seven "I would advise to go back to soft launch" »Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery developer Jam City is moving from being “just” a mere casual games publisher to becoming what it calls a “true mobile entertainment company”.
To that end, it wants to build IP that can branch out into other entertainment mediums, like books, movies and/or TV.
Speaking at Pocket Gamer Connects Helsinki 2018, Jam City VP Jeremy Horn discussed just what it takes to be a big publisher in mobile these days, going in-depth on the KPIs required for success.
For instance, he suggested if developers aren’t hitting 40 per cent retention on day one, 20 per cent by day seven and 10 per cent by day 30, “I would advise to potentially go back to soft launch”.
#3: Why Diablo Immortal’s detractors won that battle but have lost the war
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Why Diablo Immortal’s detractors won that battle but have lost the war »Blizzard’s moves towards the mobile space have made a big noise in the games industry.
It’s still focused on PC, of course, but the announcement of Diablo Immortal and other mobile games in the works mark a real shift in the industry.
Everyone wants in on mobile, but how the big triple-A publishers do it without upsetting fans is one of the key challenges.
Our contributing editor Jon Jordan analysed the Diablo Immortal announcement, Blizzard’s partnership with NetEase and why the game is destined to prove a lucrative venture.
#2: Flaregames restructure leads to 45 layoffs as CEO Klaas Kersting steps down
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Flaregames restructure leads to 45 layoffs as CEO Klaas Kersting steps down »Last week kicked off with the sad news that German publisher Flaregames had laid off 45 staff.
The move came as a result of recent launches that did not live up to expectations.
CEO Klaas Kersting has also stepped down from his position but will remain with the company.
Flaregames is undergoing a restructuring, with Todd English taking over as CEO of the company’s publishing business.
A separate entity to Flaregames GmbH is being created that will encompass its studios Keen Flare and Kopla Games, plus other expected studio acquisitions.
#1: Supercell set to launch Brawl Stars globally in December on iOS and Android
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Supercell set to launch Brawl Stars globally in December on iOS and Android »It’s been a long time coming - and at times felt like it might not happen at all - but Supercell has decided to give Brawl Stars a full global release.
The game is set to hit the app stores in December, over a year after it first soft-launched in Canada.
It’ll be Supercell’s fifth ever release, following in the footsteps of Clash Royale, Boom Beach, Clash of Clans and Hay Day.
The famous Finnish developer only launches games with chart-topping potential. Could it be the next billion-dollar hit? No pressure.