Games industry roundup: What's next for SpatialOS, influencers discuss mental health, and CryptoKitties dev's new game
While PocketGamer.biz focuses on the world of mobile gaming, it's always a good idea to keep an eye on the trends, controversies and opportunities of other sectors.
To that end, each week we round up the hottest stories as selected by our expert editorial team across our network of sites that includes PCGamesInsider.biz, InfluencerUpdate.biz and BlockchainGamer.biz.
Looking for a mobile roundup? You can check out our Hot Five here. You can also catch up on all the news coming out of Asia in our East Meets West roundup here.
Learn more about all these sectors of the games industry at Pocket Gamer Connects Hong Kong on July 17th and 18th.
Hottest stories
On PCGamesInsider.biz, there's an interview with London tech firm Improbable on what's next for SpatialOS, and Codemasters CEO Frank Sagnier says it wants to be the "Disney Channel" of racing.
BlockchainGamer.biz reports that Six Dragons’ pre-sale has raised $90,000 in 24 hours, there's news that Reality Gaming has launched its own trading platform, and there are details on CryptoKitties developer Dapper Labs' team new game Cheeze Wizards.
Over on InfluencerUpdate.biz, there's a report on how influencers are providing mental health guidance, while a new survey shows that 46 per cent of UK streamers are worried about broadcasting content in light of Article 13.
#1: PC game news and insights
Here are the five hottest stories from our sister-site PCGamesInsider.biz for the last week.
What's next for SpatialOS maker Improbable?
CPO and co-founder Rob Whitehead tells us more.
Why Codemasters wants to be the Disney Channel of racing
CEO Frank Sagnier tells us why the firm went public, how it is balancing new and old IP and what the future holds for the UK games veteran studio.
Inside Track: Localisation specialist LocalizeDirect is expanding its vocabulary
Business development director Michael Souto dives into how the latest trends are affecting the localisation space.
US games trade body ESA finally appoints new president and CEO
Interim boss Stanley Pierre-Louis takes the top job for the long-term.
Discord attracted 50m new users in first three months of 2019
A total of 250 million people have signed up as of March of this year.
#2: Blockchain game news and insights
Here are the five hottest stories from our sister-site BlockchainGamer.biz for the last week.
Six Dragons’ pre-sale raises $90,000 in 24 hours
Six Dragons, one of the new members of the Enjin ecosystem and its Spark initiative, has started off strong. Specifically, as it relates to its pre-sale, which made a start early this week with its collection of chests. Its first 24 hours has, so far, led to a total of $90,000 being raised.
Become the big cheese by battling it out on Cheeze Wizards
For the Dapper Labs team, its latest game is as much an [interesting] experiment. Cheeze Wizards is the newest title from the creators of CryptoKitties, and while it was previously launched with very little in the way of details, the team is now revealing just what the game entails for players.
Reality Gaming launches its own trading platform
One of the things that really caught our attention about Reality Gaming Group is its dual economy. What we mean by this is that players of the AR mobile title – Reality Clash – have access to a mobile economy of RCC Silver tokens. Alternatively, users can buy and sell a wide range of weapons through the RC website.
CryptoKitties are going 3D with MegaCryptoPolis
With MegaCryptoPolis‘ newest 3d micro-economy, attributes that you add to your buildings have a dramatic effect on productivity. Even pets can have an impact on that, and for a limited time, CryptoKitties can support your city.
Blockchain Cuties Universe – Koté sells for $48,500
Blockchain Cuties Universe kickstarted the introduction of its new land system in style with a very special auction. I’m, of course, referring to the sale of the NFT mascot for the game – Koté – which has since concluded with a big exclamation point.
#3: Influencer news and insights
Here are the five hottest stories from our sister-site InfluencerUpdate.biz for the last week.
46% of UK streamers are worried about broadcasting content in light of Article 13
Content creators in the EU have expressed their concerns regarding Article 13. Almost half of the UKs creators are worried about the implications of the directive and a large proportion say that they'd stop streaming altogether.
Influencer marketing platform Tribe reveals Keith Weed as angel investor
Recently-retired Unilever CMO Keith Weed has chosen to invest in Tribe, a start-up dedicated to connecting brands and influencers.
New online marketplace Joocd focuses on connecting LGBTQI+ influencers with brands
Joocd is a new online marketplace that is aiming to connect brands and influencers together, specifically LGBTQI+ influencers online.
Philip Morris suspends influencer marketing efforts following shady practices
Tobacco manufacturer Philip Morris International has suspended the use of influencers to promote its products.
Influencers are providing mental health guidance in a world where support is hard to come by
Social media influencers are shaping more lives than ever before. And as influencer marketing continues to flourish year-on-year, social media provides a platform to push awareness for things like mental health like nothing else.