Games industry roundup: EA and Riot vets set up Vela Games, Gods Unchained open beta, and how the top 5,000 dominate Twitch
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 the scoop on why a group of Riot and EA vets have founded their own studio Vela Games, an interview with one-man developer Victor Agren aka Deadtoast Entertainment on the early success of My Friend Pedro, and Jagex says it hasn't been sold just yet.
Meanwhile, on BlockchainGamer.biz, there's a look at whether IOST is equipped to create a bridge to Facebook’s Libra, and Gods Unchained has opened up its beta to the public.
And on InfluencerUpdate.biz, there's the news that 74 per cent of Twitch viewership belongs to the top 5,000 channels, and there's an article offering seven quick steps to nailing your Instagram captions.
#1: PC game news and insights
Here are the five hottest stories from our sister-site PCGamesInsider.biz for the last week.
Why these Riot and EA vets left to find the future of multiplayer at Vela Games
Founders Travis George, Lisa Newon George and Brian Kaiser tell us more.
How My Friend Pedro shot past 250,000 sales in seven days
One-man developer Victor Agren aka Deadtoast Entertainment tells us more.
No, China's Shanghai Fukong hasn't sold Jagex just yet
Reported sale was just one option that was being explored by the Chinese entertainment giant.
Over 4,000 developers have applied to be part of Google's Stadia Partners programme
That's according to technical account manager Sam Corcoran.
No Man's Sky developer Hello Games' cash reserves rose over 2,500% between 2016 and 2018
Finally, an indication of how the ambitious sci-fi game performed.
#2: Blockchain game news and insights
Here are the five hottest stories from our sister-site BlockchainGamer.biz for the last week.
IOST equipped to create a bridge to Facebook’s Libra?
The past few months have been good for the IOST team. Having introduced the dApp-using world to its first iteration – Olympus – back in March, it’s since managed to outperform older chains.
Unlock new features in other dapps using CryptoKitties’ new ‘Kitty Tricks’
Video gaming of the 90s was particularly enthralling thanks to the kind of hear-say and secrets shared between fellow players. Like how pressing a button in one level opens up a region in another. Seems like CryptoKitties may have had this in the back of its collective mind when introducing ‘Kitty Tricks.’
Gods Unchained has ‘opened up’ its beta for the public to test out
‘Open Sesame,’ not just to those players on the wait-list it seems. Gods Unchained has since officially opened up its previously closed beta this week for a broad collection of players to try out.
Check out the latest footage from Ember Sword
It’s been a particularly impressive last few months for those keeping an eye on the So Couch Studios team. Having begun 2019 seeking out capital investment for its PC title – Ember Sword – it continues to impress in the visuals department.
F1 Delta Time kicks off its latest auction with France Edition 2019
The time has come for F1 NFT enthusiasts to bid on the latest car from the F1 Delta Time team. This time, serving as a digital tribute to the French participation within the world of Formula One with ‘France Edition 2019.’
#3: Influencer news and insights
Here are the five hottest stories from our sister-site InfluencerUpdate.biz for the last week.
State of the stream Q2: 74% of Twitch viewership belongs to the top 5000 channels
72.2 per cent of all hours watched in Q2 belong to the purple giant, with YouTube Live taking 19.5 per cent. Ninja is also no longer the most-watched Twitch, with up to eight different streamers battling for the top spot each month.
Twitch reveals all-star streamer line-up for Amazon Prime Day event
Streaming platform Twitch is hosting two 12-hour broadcasts with streamers and creators mimicking the televised shopping channel. The parody, dubbed Twitch Sells Out, will showcase games, gaming accessories, kitchenware and electronics as well as the oddities found on Amazon’s storefront.
7 quick steps to nailing your Instagram captions
With Instagram testing out a new like-hiding feature, it’s time to focus on engagement. Here's seven swift tips to help create killer captions.
League of Legends tops Twitch for first half of 2019
Riot Games’ League of Legends has topped the viewership for most watched hours on Twitch during the first six months of 2019.
Disabling YouTube ads could protect children's privacy says FTC
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) reportedly suggested during a call last week that disabling adverts on YouTube could be a way to stop the platform breaking privacy laws.