How to improve your App Store search ranking, Kim Kardashian makes $80m from Glu, and our ultimate GDC party guide
This week is GDC 2016, and you know what that means - conferences, networking, and exciting new developments in the mobile gaming space, and in gaming as a whole.
It also means San Francisco is about to become party central, as is evidenced by our list of GDC parties being the most read article on PG.biz last week.
Coming up in second place is the news that Supercell now has 100 million daily active users across its four games, and our quick analysis of what that means compared to the competition.
Third is Kim Kardashian breaking the Internet once more by claiming to have been paid $80 million by Glu for Kim Kardashian: Hollywood, something Jon was keen to check out.
And finally, our IAP Inspector took on Clash Royale to see how it fared, and Ryan Weber stopped by to give some practical advice on how to improve your app store search rankings.
Have a look through the list for more info on what caught everyone's attention last week.
#5: How to improve your App Store and Google Play search ranking
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How to improve your App Store and Google Play search ranking »Anyone who's tried to find a recent game on the app store without directly searching the name knows that it's a fool's errand.
This is particularly annoying for developers, whose apps will be lost in the crowd unless they land a featured spot.
To help out, Ryan Weber, Chief Product Officer of NativeX, has offered up some tips on how to improve your App Store and Google Play search ranking.
He gives a detailed breakdown on all the factors that are taken into account in each store's search rankings, and which areas you need to focus on to improve your place in the ranks.
#4: Taking the crown: the monetisation of Clash Royale
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Taking the crown: the monetisation of Clash Royale »It's been hard to ignore Clash Royale's release, especially if you're deeply invested in the mobile gaming world.
We've already run two opposing opinion pieces on why the game will kickstart mobile eSports, and why it won't.
But to really understand if the game will ignite the world, we need to consider if the game is actually going to appeal to the market - something which our IAP Inspector has been investigating.
To that end, he found the game to be simple in its execution of both gameplay and monetisation, saying, "it's a game that really - excuse the pun - lays its cards on the table from the outset."
#3: Is Glu really paying Kim Kardashian 50% of the gross revenue of KK: Hollywood?
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Is Glu really paying Kim Kardashian 50% of the gross revenue of KK: Hollywood? »If Kim Kardashian loves anything, it's being provocative on social media. And with 42 million followers on Twitter, who can blame her?
Indeed, on the same week she posted a naked selfie to Instagram, Kardashian West took to Twitter to claim she was cashing a cheque for $80 million, which is approximately half of Glu Mobile's Kim Kardashian: Hollywood's LTV.
Jon smelled a rat almost straight away, particularly considering this would technically mean Kardashian West would have only been paid once since the game's launch.
As he puts it, "if I was a celebrity, I wouldn't be keen on not getting paid for 20 months."
#2: 100 million daily players and billions of dollars: The real significance of Supercell's mid-market appeal
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100 million daily players and billions of dollars: The real significance of Supercell's mid-market appeal »When you consider that Supercell has a staff of 180, and is currently operating just four games, it's amazing to think how well the company is doing.
Particularly when you're then confronted with the actual numbers, and find that, since launching Clash Royale, the company now has 100 million daily active users across its four titles.
It's unlikely this is an even split, of course - Clash of Clans likely accounts for a massive percentage of this, and Clash Royale hasn't had the time to build up anything like the right size of audience to make a noticeable contribution.
But compared to other, larger developers, such as Zynga and Glu, it's still an impressive feat.
#1: Updated: Pocket Gamer's ultimate GDC 2016 party guide
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Updated: Pocket Gamer's ultimate GDC 2016 party guide »GDC kicks off this week, and it's surely to be a week of excitement and interest for anyone in the mobile gaming world as developers from across the globe gather to talk and share ideas.
And what better way to meet these people than by bumping into them at a party and having a few drinks together?
To that end, we've amassed a list of the hottest parties in town, including our very own party to celebrate our tenth birthday on Tuesday 15 at The Grand.
All you need is a business card to get in, so hopefully we'll see you down there!
