Apple TV is struggling, the casual gamer is dead, and it's all change at Rovio
It seems doom and gloom caught our reader's attention last week, as the main theme of our top five articles is failure, death, and corporate restructuring.
Our top story was the stepping down of Rovio's CEO Pekka Rantala, who has been replaced by Kati Levoranta. Wilhelm Taht, meanwhile, has taken on the role of Head of Games, and Mikael Hed has become the new Head of Media.
Next up, midcore strategy game Star Wars: Commander received an update that introduces a new planet and two new races that can be found in the upcoming Star Wars: The Force Awakens, in an effort to get a slice of the hype pie.
Thirdly, Playtika's Alex Galasso talked to us about how "the casual gamer is dead", and how the audience the industry thinks of as casual is actually becoming more like the hardcore gamer.
And finally, we look briefly at why the Apple TV isn't make much money for its developers, while Everywear finds success in its D-30 retention for its Apple Watch RPG Runeblade.
Let's hope this week is a bit cheerier, eh?
#5: How Everywear generated 25% D-30 retention in its Apple Watch game Runeblade
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How Everywear generated 25% D-30 retention in its Apple Watch game Runeblade »A D-30 retention of 25% is something mobile developers dream of, but somehow Everywear, developer of the Apple Watch RPG Runeblade, has managed it.
The game has also seen an average of 20 sessions a day from its players, with the top 2% hitting 100 sessions a day. These sessions are incredibly short - no more than about 40 seconds a time - but the numbers are impressive.
Still, percentages only tell us part of the story, and Everywear hasn't released any concrete numbers on players, so it's worth taking the metrics with a pinch of salt.
#4: Generating less than $100 a day, Apple TV apps and games are struggling
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Generating less than $100 a day, Apple TV apps and games are struggling »Oh, Apple TV. There was a lot of hype surrounding the latest iteration of Apple's device, which brought with it tvOS and the opportunity for developers to bring their mobile games to a home audience.
Sadly, it looks like the technology has failed to find an audience, with unnamed sources claiming that their games, which make thousands of dollars daily on iOS, are making a paltry $100 a day or less on the TV.
But with little initial marketing for the device leading to a small install base, poor discovery on the tvOS store, and a focus on paid content rather than free-to-play, is it any wonder the uncosole hasn't taken off?
#3: Playtika's Alex Galasso on why the casual gamer is dead
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Playtika's Alex Galasso on why the casual gamer is dead »It's certainly a provocative statement, but if you give him the time to explain it, you might find yourself agreeing with Playtika's user retention director Alex Galasso that "the casual gamer is dead."
As he points out, the lines between casual and hardcore gamers are blurring. Casual brings to mind the image of someone playing for a few minutes on the bus, but Galasso says "what we find as an industry now is that mobile players are actually playing at home."
And in response to casual games like Flappy Bird being taken off the market, Galasso asks “Why would you send death threats to a developer if you didn't really care about the game and played less frequently?"
#2: To Star Wars: The Force Awakens and beyond: How Disney is shooting for midcore mobile success
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To Star Wars: The Force Awakens and beyond: How Disney is shooting for midcore mobile success »With the latest film in the Star Wars franchise inching ever closer to release, it makes perfect sense for everything with the Star Wars name attached to it to try and get in on the hype.
Hence why Midcore Studios, the company behind Star Wars: Commander, has recently added in a new planet and two new races that appear in the upcoming film.
But the company isn't treating the update as anything to write home about. Lead designer Joe Canose said that "we update the game every four to six weeks" and that this update is just one in a long line they have planned for the future.
#1: All change at Rovio as it gets new CEO while Wilhelm Taht becomes head of games
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All change at Rovio as it gets new CEO while Wilhelm Taht becomes head of games »Despite having only been in the role since January, CEO of Rovio Pekka Rantala has stepped down, with Kati Levoranta taking his place.
That's not the only change, however. Wilhelm Taht, formerly the head of the Rovio Stars publishing division, has now been made Head of Games. Meanwhile, former CEO and Rovio co-founder Mikael Hed has been given the role of Head of Media.
It's all in the name of restructuring the company for a "leaner, more agile organization" which places "operational responsibility" in the hands of these two distinct divisions.
We'll let Shakira explain how Rovio's processes work...
