Games industry roundup: The hottest stories across the PC, blockchain and influencer sectors
While here on 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.
The hottest stories
This week's hot PC stories include Mike Bithell of the 'Circular' series to date, Techland talks Dying Light 2's story, and Valve claims it's working on an official a service akin to SteamSpy.
Meanwhile in the influencer space, VidCon's new grant will give an emerging YouTuber $2,000 every week, Playstation Access' Hollie Bennett discusses building a YouTube career, and E3 2017 sets Twitch concurrent viewer records on Steam.
Over in the blockchain gaming sector, Ultra talks about its plans for a blockchain-based Steam rival, Wax bigs up its game item marketplace, and the BlockchainGamer.biz team compares the revenue split for blockchain PC game distributors. Spoiler: most offer better terms than Steam and mobile storefronts.
#1: PC game news and insights
Here are the five hottest stories from our sister-site PCGamesInsider.biz for the last week.
"Going into Quarantine Circular I was unsure whether Subsurface was a fluke or a repeatable event"
Indie developer Mike Bithell on why he is now focusing on shorter games and how this new model is working for him in the wake of Quaratine Circular launch
The original Dying Light had its fair share of RPG mechanics, but now developer Techland is doubling down on this aspect and has hired genre bet Chris Avellone to help out
Valve says it is working on something "better than SteamSpy"
Months after accidentally (on purpose?) killing SteamSpy, Valve says it is working on its own sales data solution
Amy Hennig is no longer at EA after her Star Wars project was shelved
Following the closure of Visceral, Naughty Dog vet Amy Hennig has confirmed she left EA and has gone indie
All signs point to Halo composer O'Donnell returning to franchise with Infinite
It sure looks like Halo composer Marty O'Donnell is returning to the franchise
#2: Influencer news and insights
Here are the five hottest stories from our sister-site InfluencerUpdate.biz for the last week.
VidCon's new grant will give an emerging YouTuber $2,000 every week
Creator convention VidCon has announced that it will give an emerging YouTuber $2,000 every week to support rising YouTubers.
Playstation Access' Hollie Bennett on how making YouTube content can improve your career
Playstation Access' Hollie Bennett on how developing YouTube skills can improve your career no matter where you are.
E3 2018 propels Twitch to new concurrent viewer record
LA video games showcase E3 this year helped Twitch set a new viewer record of 2.9m concurrent users.
Mobcrush releases a new streaming tool allowing creators to broadcast on multiple platforms at once
Mobile tech platform Mobcrush has released a new streaming tool for iOS, allowing creators to broadcast on multiple platforms at once.
Infographic: The evolution of social media
On Social Media Day, Vamp CEO Aaron Brooks takes us through the evolution of the format in a lovely infographic, from Six Degrees to Selfie Mania.
#3: Blockchain game news and insights
Here are the five hottest stories from our sister-site BlockchainGamer.biz for the last week.
How blockchain platform Ultra plans to become Steam on steroids for PC games
“You can buy games, resell games, buy game items, play games, play in tournaments, bet on tournaments and get tokens for engaging with advertising and through affiliate fees when your friends join.”
WAX’s Malcolm CasSelle on building the ultimate game item marketplace on the blockchain
“This is a marketplace-as-a-service, enabling everyone to have their own Amazon.”
Comparing the revenue split for blockchain PC game distributors
Following our recent interview with blockchain PC game distribution outfit Ultra, I thought it was time to start digging into the sector more deeply.
OPSkins claims early success for blockchain VGO item economy
According to DappRadar, VGO is already top-ranked in the Collectibles category with a 7-day transaction volume valued at 394.42 ETH (around $180,000) and 9,929 transactions.
B2Expand introduces the Blockchain Game Summit
Established by the video game studio, B2Expand, the Blockchain Summit aims to connect both blockchain and game developers to build a more collaborative, democratic future for both.