It's just weeks to go before Pocket Gamer Connects 2014.
Our first conference will be held in London on 20-21 January - you can find out more details here.
So to whet your appetite, we're finding out more about some of our speakers.
David McCarthy is director of the platform division business alliance team at Metaps, a leading Android monetization platform based in Asia.
David has worked in the videogame industry for more than ten years and has previously worked for Edge Magazine and Rockstar Games. He is also the author of Game On!: From Pong to Oblivion The Greatest Video Games of All Time.
He's currently setting up Metaps' European base so it can provide better help for European developers.
Pocket Gamer: What do you think has been the most significant event for mobile games during 2013?
David McCarthy: The remarkable revenue growth across Asia; the growth of Google Play as a platform; and the increasingly global success of companies like LINE, King and Supercell.
What will be the biggest challenges and opportunities in 2014?
I think the biggest challenge will be spotting the next big trend before it happens.
Apart from that, getting your app noticed will continue to be a challenge, but the rise of Android and growing revenues across Asia will continue to present developers with opportunities.
How will indie developers fare? Any advice?
I think a maturing market makes it tougher for everyone.
But that also makes it exciting - especially for those indies who are nimble enough to overcome their lack of scale and limited resources. I think that's always been the case.
How big do you think the East-meets-West opportunity is, and which markets are you most excited about in 2014?
I think the opportunity is huge across the whole of Asia: the charts in Japan have seen a pretty radical shift in the past twelve months; Korea is a tough market but a rewarding one; and Taiwan is one of the largest Android markets in the world.
Then, as you mention, there are emerging markets in southeast Asia and Russia that are also fascinating.
What are you expecting to learn from attending Pocket Gamer Connects?
I hope to meet as many European developers as possible and to make long and lasting (and fruitful!) partnerships with them.
What were your favourite mobile games of 2013?
New Star Soccer occupied an inordinate amount of time towards the start of the year, but more recently I have succumbed to the joys of Pokopang on LINE, and Angry Birds Go! has also burned through an inordinate amount of battery life.
Finally, what's your New Year's resolution and what resolution would you enforce on the industry?
My own resolution is to find a way to fit 48 hours into 24.
If I had to enforce a resolution on the industry, it would be to work with Metaps, obviously! Or, failing that, to look beyond their comfort zone. Find new markets, new game styles, new ways to succeed.
