Mobile Games Awards 2018 finalists, what's happening at MZ, and two PUBG games are coming to mobile
Everyone loves a good awards ceremony - it's an opportunity to put on your nices clothes, schmooze with key members of the industry and celebrate great achievements.
So it's no wonder that our most read story last week was the finalists for our first ever Mobile Games Awards, which are set to be held on January 23rd 2018.
Second on the Hot Five list is Jon Jordan asking a very important question - what the hell is going on at MZ and why are both Game of War and Mobile Strike crashing out of the download charts?
PUBG, RuneScape and Lineage 2: Revolution
Third up is the news that Tencent will be bringing not one, but two games to mobile based on the hit PC title PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds as part of a deal with PUBG Corporation.
And finally, Jagex hires two new senior members of staff as it explores new investment opportunities and our IAP Inspector takes a look at Netmarble's Lineage 2: Revolution.
Click the link below to find out more about the stories that caught our reader's eye during last week.
#5: How does Lineage 2: Revolution monetise?
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How does Lineage 2: Revolution monetise? »Lineage 2: Revolution is a big, big game. It's made hundreds of millions of dollars throughout 2017 and most of that has just been in its home country of South Korea.
It's also a seriously core MMORPG - a genre not for the faint of heart, but our intrepid IAP Inspector steeled himself for a look at its monetisation anyway.
There's a whole bunch of currencies to wrap your head around, and various bundles to pick up in the early stages, but overall, the IAP Inspector was impressed.
"Netmarble's first priority is simply for you to play, regularly and often, as any MMO requires. The hope, then, is that spending naturally follows," he wrote.
#4: RuneScape developer Jagex explores investment opportunities with new senior hires
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RuneScape developer Jagex explores investment opportunities with new senior hires »RuneScape developer Jagex has hired ex-NetEase International Biz Dev Manager Cassia Curran as Head of Business Development and former NCSoft exec John Burns as SVP of Publishing.
Curran will lead Jagex’s outreach to external studios as the company seeks investment and partnership opportunities. Curran had been with Chinese publisher NetEase for five years before joining Jagex.
Burns meanwhile has joined as SVP of Publishing where he will support the company’s plans to expand its portfolio.
Jagex has also promoted Senior Product Director Neil McClarty to the role of VP of Product Management.
#3: Tencent reveals two new mobile games based on PC hit PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds
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Tencent reveals two new mobile games based on PC hit PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds »PUBG is arguably the biggest game of 2017. It sells millions of copies a month, became a top game on Twitch in no time and it's not even out of Early Access yet.
So it's little surprise that the game is making the leap to mobile. Though a partnership with Tencent, there will be not one but two games coming to mobile.
One game developed by Tencent's own Timi studio will drastically alter the formula for the mobile audience. Expect a faster pace and naval battles, because who doesn't like big boats?
The other release, from Lightspeed & Quantum Studios, will be a much more traditional PUBG affair, with slow, tense gunfights the title is known for.
#2: What the hell is happening at Game of War and Mobile Strike developer MZ?
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What the hell is happening at Game of War and Mobile Strike developer MZ? »Say what you will about MZ's games, Jon Jordan will defend them to the hilt thanks to their ability to generate billions of dollars of revenue and engage players for years.
But even he has wondered what the hell the company is up to of late, as its old games have started falling drastically in both download and top grossing charts.
"Thanks to MZ’s continued marketing, both Game of War and Mobile Strike were top 50 games in terms of downloads until the end of June when they dropped like a stone out of the top 100. Indeed, by mid-July both games were outside the top 500," he wrote.
"Given their committed player base, cutting off the supply of new players hasn’t had such a dramatic impact in terms of their top grossing position, but it has had an impact."
#1: Mobile Games Awards 2018: The finalists revealed
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Mobile Games Awards 2018: The finalists revealed »There's a lot of good great people and teams in the mobile games industry, and we feel that they need more recognition than they currently get.
Which is why we're hosting the first ever Mobile Games Awards on January 23rd 2018. To that end, we've announced our finalists for the competition ahead of the ceremony.
Everyone nominated rightfully deserves their place and while there can only be one winner for each category, every company and game in the list should be applauded for their contributions throughout 2017.
Make sure to take a look at all the nominees and hopefully we'll see you at the awards ceremony.