Glu partners with WWE, deconstructing Clash of Clans' Builder Base update, and analysing those Candy Crush sequels
King's Candy Crush Saga remains a strong performer for the company years after its release and its success has also spawned two sequels, with another in soft launch.
We were wondering how these games were performing, and it turns out our readers were too, as our charticle on the performance of Soda Saga and Jelly Saga was our most read article of the week.
Second on our Hot Five list is a detailed breakdown of Clash of Clans' latest Builder Base update, courtesy of our friends at Deconstructor of Fun.
Glu, Kongregate and Kopla
Third up is the news that Glu Mobile has partnered with WWE to develop a new licensed game, with development being handled by the same studio that made Tap Sports Baseball.
And finally, Modern Times Group acquired Kongregate for $55 million, and we spoke to Kopla Games about what it's looking for in potential candidates.
Click the link below to find out more about the stories that caught our readers' attention in the week.
#5: How to get a job at Nonstop Knight developer Kopla Games
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How to get a job at Nonstop Knight developer Kopla Games »Kopla Games is having a whale of a time at the minute - it's been bought out by Flaregames, its first game Nonstop Knight is still doing well, and its got a good future ahead of it.
So we took the opportunity to speak to the studio's CEO Mika Kuusisto to find out more about what makes the company tick and what they're looking for in new recruits.
"First you need to share our passion for games. We want to leave our own mark in the mobile games industry and have our games played by hundreds of millions of people," said Kuusisto.
"We want our candidates to be ambitious and crazy enough to fulfill that dream with us."
#4: Modern Times Group to acquire casual games publisher Kongregate for $55 million
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Modern Times Group to acquire casual games publisher Kongregate for $55 million »Kongregate will forever be known to some as that online games portal where you'd occasionally play weird Flash games with your friends, but in recent years its become quite the mobile publisher.
Its mobile performance has been strong enough that Modern Times Group, which also owns InnoGames, has decided to splash the cash and pick up the company for $55 million.
"Our vision has always been to nurture the development of indie game developers and the consumer gaming community. Our values are all about integrity, collaboration, and most of all, fun," said Emily Greer, co-Founder and CEO of Kongregate.
"MTG is not only a great partner as we continue to step up our expansion into new gaming platforms and channels, but the right partner because they share our values and commitment to empowering indie development teams to create unique and innovative gaming experiences for consumers across any and all game platforms."
#3: Glu Mobile signs multi-year partnership with WWE to develop new licensed game
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Glu Mobile signs multi-year partnership with WWE to develop new licensed game »Wrestling isn't for everyone, but it's certainly a sport that a big chunk of the world seems to enjoy, otherwise there wouldn't be so many mobile games using the WWE license.
Glu Mobile is the latest developer to enter the ring, having signed a multi-year partnership deal with the WWE to develop a new game using the brand.
That means it has access to all the Superstars and logos, which means we can expect The Rock and Roman Reigns to face off against one another despite being from totally different eras.
What kind of game it will be is a mystery, but it's being designed for one-thumb play by the team that made Tap Sports Baseball, so it's bound to be good no matter what.
#2: Deconstructing Clash of Clans' game-changing Builder Base update
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Deconstructing Clash of Clans' game-changing Builder Base update »So long as Supercell keeps Clash of Clans' servers maintained and the game bug-free, it could probably just sit back and watch the money roll in for the next one hundred years.
But it isn't doing that, and has instead launched an enormous new update called Builder Base, which our friends at Deconstructor of Fun has rather helpfully broken down.
The update has done plenty of good, mainly in the fact that it has added real-time battles for players to take part in, rather than the traditional asynchronous multiplayer the game is known for.
It comes at a cost though - progression is linked to attacking, and you can only attack three times a day, so unless you're willing to shell out for a few more, you won't be getting anywhere fast.
#1: Crushing it: The diminishing but lucrative returns from the Candy Crush sequels
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Crushing it: The diminishing but lucrative returns from the Candy Crush sequels »Candy Crush Saga has been a key driver of King's revenues for a very long time, but the company has still tried to advance the series with new releases.
And while that's all well and good, it wouldn't be worth their time if the games didn't perform. Which led us to to wonder, are they actually performing well at all?
The short answer: yes. While Candy Crush Soda Saga and Candy Crush Jelly Saga don't have the astronomical success of the original game, they're still performing well, sitting in the top 100 grossing charts of the US App Store.
And on a slight tanget: what an absolutely magnificent headline.