Amazon goes 'gaming too' with Fire TV, LINE tops 400 million users, and Microsoft announces Universal Apps
The biggest April fool this week was anyone who thought the Android microconsole market was over and done with.
After months of speculation, US-based retailer Amazon finally entered the battle for the living room gaming space with its Amazon Fire TV box.
Consumer reaction to the $99 multimedia device remains to be seen, but what interested us the most was the fact that it has a capable Android gaming device hidden underneath of the video and music streaming services.
Paradoxically, Amazon didn't emphasis its gaming capabilities as a major selling point - noting that it's "Great for gaming, too" - but it also allocated a fair amount of resources to the development of exclusive titles for the Fire TV.
We'll have to wait and see if the new unconsole can find a strong market where its competitors have struggled, but in the meantime we can take a look back at the Pocket Gamer Biz Week That Was.
PG Connects
- Early bird ticket prices have ended, but PG Connects is still on for 16-17 June in Helsinki this year, where we'll continue looking at the business and art of bringing games to the global stage.
- And speaking of the global stage, Pocket Gamer is hitting the road next week with stops planned at Berlin's Quo Vadis, Estonia, and Helsinki.
Tools and Platforms
- Microsoft unveiled 'universal' apps for Windows 8, Windows Phone, and Xbox One.
- While LINE grew to over 400 million users - adding 826,000 new accounts a day.
- UK Chancellor George Osborne said he was 'open to ideas' on how to follow up the recently announced Games Tax Relief.
- And Apple announced a new random lottery for tickets to WWDC 2014 - in an effort to avoid last year's 2-minute sellout debacle.
Monetisation
- Our In-App Purchase Inspector fixed its gaze on Supercell's Boom Beach to see just how much of a shelling players' wallets are in for.
- While our Charticle dissected the performance of Bossa Studios' Surgeon Simulator.
- Apple sent out a mysterious email to US consumers offering refunds on in-app purchases made by children.
- And are you a developer planning to be in Poland for Digital Dragons 2014? If so, you should check out its VC Speed Networking session to meet some of Polands biggest investors.
Industry voices
- GungHo Online Entertainment America CEO Jun Iwasaki noted that 3 million downloads is 'just the beginning' for Puzzles & Dragons in the US.
- Editor Jon Jordan argued that Chinese games need to stop relying on generic heroines if they hope to differentiate themselves from one another.
- And Opposable Games' James Parker ruminated on why PC and console games can't ignore what's in a player's pocket any more.
- Alconost's Vladimir Kupratsevich's gave some tips on how you can keep your sanity while translating your game into 20 languages.
- Meanwhile, TIGA president Richard Wilson shared his thoughts on the sweet success of seeing Games Tax Relief arrive in the UK.
- And our Mobile Gaming Mavens wondered why Google didn't buy Oculus if it really was the future of VR gaming.
- Jon Jordan returned to flame Amazon's Fire TV as more My Little Pony than disruptive gaming microconsole.
- Before he gave us a look at how Industrial Toys reimagined the shooter for the touchscreen.
User acquisition, retention, and discovery
- Flurry announced updates to its Analytics which allow users to monitor retention and return rate.
- UA outfit Crobo expects its business model to shift towards '70 percent mobile' by the year's end.
- Dimoso's James Kaye shared some thoughts on how mobile marketing is broken, and what we can do to fix it.
- And Game Insight reported that it's crossed north of 5 million players on Windows Phone and Windows 8.
Funding, acquisitions, personnel, and shutterings
- Amazon isn't going it alone with Fire TV - designers Clint Hocking and Kim Swift joined up with Amazon Game Studios this week.
- And King is growing, as it announced that it's looking to hire 165 new employees.
- Core tablet dev Industrial Toys raised $5 million in its first funding round.
- Hitfox, meanwhile, picked up Datamonk and announced that it has two to four more acquisitions planned for the year ahead.
- While UA outfit Crobo picked up rival TrafficCaptain.
Financials
- Capcom took a $48 million hit, citing underperforming PC online and mobile games.
- Sega Sammy, meanwhile, invested in Emblem of Falkyrie dev MyNet.
- And Chinese app distributor Cheetah filed for a $300 million IPO.