Scopely snags the Temple Run license, Elex working on Call of Duty game, and why you should open your own studio
Why start a games studio? The hours are tough, there's no guarantee of success, and you'll probably have to take out several mortgages on your home just to fund your new venture.
Despite all this, TreasureHunt's CEO Kyle Smith says that you should absolutely do it, in his guest article that ended up being our most read story on the website last week.
Second on our Hot Five is the news that Activision is partnering with Elex to develop a new Call of Duty title on mobile, which could explain why Call of Duty: Siege has disappeared off the face of the Earth.
Treasure, jobs, and big bangs
Third is the news thatScopley has bagged the Temple Run license to use in its currently soft-launched match-3 title Treasure Hunters!, using the series' characters and environments in a new spin on the franchise.
And finally, London-based developer Hutch has hired Anisa Sanusi as its new UI/UX designer, and Big Bang Racing dev Traplight has raised $2.7 million in funding to grow its team.
Click the link below to find out more about the stories that caught our readers' attention over the last week.
#5: Big Bang Racing developer Traplight raises $2.7 million to create games for the Minecraft generation
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Big Bang Racing developer Traplight raises $2.7 million to create games for the Minecraft generation »Traplight has been going from strength to strength following the launch of its first game, Big Bang Racing, and last week saw them taking yet another big step.
The studio closed a $2.7 million funding round that it will use to scale up its team and work on new titles focused on player-created content.
"The new generation of gamers that have grown with both Minecraft and mobile devices take it pretty much as granted that you should be able to create, share and express yourself in mobile games as well," said Traplight's Art Director Jari Paananen.
"And of course we agree."
#4: Hutch brings on ex-Frontier artist Anisa Sanusi as UX/UI Designer
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Hutch brings on ex-Frontier artist Anisa Sanusi as UX/UI Designer »It's always a genuine pleasure to give a shout-out to the hardworking members of the games industry when they land themselves a new job at a company.
So it was with pleasure that we shared the news that Anisa Sanusi had bagged a job as UX/UI designer at London's Hutch, the developer behind Hot Wheels: Race Off.
Sanusi was formerly a UI Artist for Frontier Developments, known in the mobile biz for its Rollercoaster Tycoon 3 mobile adaptation.
She is also known for her work in the games indsutry as a whole, promoting women and people from diverse backgrounds, and working with BAFTA Crew Games.
#3: Scopely snags Temple Run license for soft-launched match-3 title Treasure Hunters
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Scopely snags Temple Run license for soft-launched match-3 title Treasure Hunters »Some time ago, we were baffled by a new original IP that Scopely had in soft launch under the name Treasure Hunters!, a match-3 title that came out of nowhere.
So we breathed a sigh of relief when we found out that Scopely wasn't completely changing its business, and had instead snagged the Temple Run license for its new game.
It'll be making use of the license with appearances from the series' characters and locations, along with new outfits to unlock for each treasure hunter.
Pre-registrations are already open on Google Play, which is generally a good sign that the game will be coming soon, but there's really no way of knowing when until it actually launches.
#2: Activision partners with Elex on unannounced Call of Duty mobile game
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Activision partners with Elex on unannounced Call of Duty mobile game »Activision was working on a Call of Duty title for mobile called Call of Duty: Siege not too long ago, but it's suddenly disappeared into thin air and not a word has been heard since.
One potential reason for this is that the company has now partnered with developer Elex to work on a new mobile Call of Duty game that currently doesn't have a snappy subtitle.
It doesn't even have any real details as yet - all we know is that Elex will be developing a Call of Duty game and the partnership runs for up to three years following the game's launch.
Even better, Elex isn't paying for the license in any way, and Activision is covering half of the development costs for the game.
#1: "Starting a games studio is idiotic, brutal and you should totally do it"
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"Starting a games studio is idiotic, brutal and you should totally do it" »"Starting a games studio is idiotic, brutal, stressful and you should totally do it" not only makes for a great headline, but it's also how Kyle Smith kicks off his guest article on opening a studio.
The CEO of Berlin-based mobile game developer TreasureHunt stopped by to ask himself a few questions about the hardships of starting a games studio, and why its such a good idea.
On the topic of "why do you want to start a studio", Smith writes, "I don’t think 'to make games' is a good answer. I think it’s a pretty bad one, actually. I think you’ll get bored.
"It's more motivating to try and fix something or do something that isn’t being done well, or at all."