Reasons to join Nordeus, Gameloft's future vision, Windows 10 and GDC trends
Welcome to PocketGamer.biz's weekly rundown of the stories clocking up the hits, picking up the click-throughs and generally keeping the advertisers happy by serving up page views.
Or, if you'd prefer, the top five stories currently dominating our readers' attention.
Each week, we'll be counting down the biggest news from the previous seven days, giving just a glimpse of the industry's big issues, from five to one.
Handy for you, each headline in the list also allows you to click through to the article in full, so you can make sure you've not missed out on any of last week's big stories.
#5: ZeptoLab's Eugene Yailenko on lessons learned from King of Thieves
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ZeptoLab's Eugene Yailenko on lessons learned from King of Thieves »Released in February 2015 after 2 years in development, King of Thieves eventually found its audience with 24 million downloads.
It was, however, a difficult road up to this point, and a journey thats seen the game change dramatically.
"If you think the game is hardcore now, you haven't seen that first prototype," reflected ZeptoLab's Eugene Yailenko at GDC 2016.
The biggest departure from the original brief, though, was the reduced focus on user-generated content.
Originally envisioned with LittleBigPlanet, Super Meat Boy, and Clash of Clans as influences and reference points, Yailenko had to reconsider this when players proved "too lazy" to engage with full editing tools.
#4: Gameloft attempts to fight off Vivendi, announcing 2018 sales target of $390 million
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Gameloft attempts to fight off Vivendi, announcing 2018 sales target of $390 million »Currently in the process of trying to fight off a hostile takeover bid from Vivendi, French mobile developer Gameloft has set out its vision for a Vivendi-free future.
The headline news is a big increase in sales and profitability over the next three years.
- 2018 sales target of more than $390 million of which c. 30% will be from its direct advertising platform.
- Current operating profit target of more than $73 million in 2018.
- Cumulative free cash flow target of more than $95 million over 2016-2018.
For its part, Vivendi said the deal would add value to both companies, with Vivendi helping the troubled Gameloft improve its 'industrial and financial levers'.
#3: Why it's time to join Top Eleven developer Nordeus
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Why it's time to join Top Eleven developer Nordeus »Nordeus is one of the shining examples of startup success in the era of games-as-a-service.
Across Facebook, mobile and web, its Top Eleven football management game has been a massive global hit; something that has enabled the developer to grow, both in terms of raw headcount as well as geographical locations.
And that success has breed a constant demand to attract new talent.
In this sponsored feature, we talk to Lead HR Manager Tamara Stojanovic about the formation of the company, the importance of company culture, and why you should consider applying for a job at Nordeus.
#2: 5 tips for launching your mobile game on Windows 10
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5 tips for launching your mobile game on Windows 10 »In 2015, InnoSpark launched Windows 10 iterations of its two mobile titles Dragon Friends and Hero Sky.
As well as potential user base of 200 million, the Korea developer said it was also attracted by the OS' growth as a download platform, particularly in North America and Europe.
Of course, there's also the benefit of multi-screen games working on multiple devices.
But supporting Windows 10 does present some challenges.
"None of them are insurmountable but they do require a degree of forethought and forward planning," commented InnoSpark's CEO Jae Chan Shin.
"Here are five lessons we learnt during the Windows 10 development of our games."
#1: 5 key mobile game trends from GDC 2016
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5 key mobile game trends from GDC 2016 »Consisting of a temporary community of around 30,000 attendees (and hangers-on), San Francisco's annual Game Developers' Conference is spread across five days.
But it's so jam-packed with interesting talks, games, and meeting opportunities that it seems to be over in an instant.
Takeaways
GDC 2016 was no different, but don't worry if you missed some of the conference's key trends amidst the noise.
PocketGamer.biz was in attendance eagerly picking the world's best mobile gaming brains, and here are those insights condensed into the 5 most significant emerging trends.
