Grand Cru partners with Nexon, King soft launches Brick Wizard, and Clash of Clans' fifth anniversary
Supercell's Clash of Clans launched five years ago. Think about that. Can you remember what you were doing five years ago? Playing Clash of Clans for the first time, probably.
Since then it's been kept alive by a small but dedicated team at Supercell, and our chat with Senior Server Engineer Jonas Collaros on how the studio is keeping the game going is of such enormous interest to our readers that it was by far and away the most read article of the last week.
Second on our Hot Five list is the news that King has soft-launched yet another midcore game, this time a Breakout-esque title about shooting magic at bricks called Brick Wizard.
Battlejack, video ads and Moomins
Third up, Grand Cru has signed a deal with Nexon for the worldwide publishing rights to its upcoming game Battlejack, which promises to mix blackjack and card-battling.
And finally, AdColony digs into the figures behind how many people are watching video ads compared to buying IAPs, and we chat to Snowfall about putting all its eggs in the Moomin basket.
Click the link below to find out more about the stories that caught our reader's eye over the last week.
#5: Playing it cool: How Snowfall is building a business on one external IP
More Info
Playing it cool: How Snowfall is building a business on one external IP »You may not know that much about Snowfall - but the developer is dedicated to making games about the Moomins.
It's a unique proposition to work on a single licensed IP, so we caught up with new CEO Natasha Trygg about bringing the plucky hippo-esque creatures to mobile.
"There is a bit of a separation between making a good game, and knowing a brand," says CEO Natasha Trygg.
"You need game designers and somebody who knows how to make good games, and then there is the IP and the restrictions with how you use the brand."
#4: Video ads are the top revenue generator behind IAPs
More Info
Video ads are the top revenue generator behind IAPs »Video ads are the second biggest generator of revenues behind in-app purchases, according to a new report.
AdColony has released new research in its Summer 2017 Mobile Publishing Survey that offers insights and trends from top grossing mobile publishers.
The report took data from publishers with an average of three million+ monthly active users on average, with 82% of those being games-only mobile developers.
The survey found that in-app purchases accounted for 39% of total publisher revenue. Video ads came in at 31% and display ads 20%. Overall, it’s claimed that various ad types were said to account for 55% of total publisher revenue.
#3: Finnish dev Grand Cru signs publishing deal with Nexon for new game Battlejack
More Info
Finnish dev Grand Cru signs publishing deal with Nexon for new game Battlejack »Grand Cru has been fairly quiet over the past couple of years, but now it's back in a big way and with a big partner to boot.
It has just signed a deal with Nexon to publish its latest game, a blackjack inspired card-battler known simply as Battlejack, all around the world this summer.
“Grand Cru is a master at crafting fresh, fun and engaging worlds on mobile and with Battlejack they’ve created a journey with an incredible twist to a timeless classic that will be enjoyed for years,” said Nexon M General Manager Lawrence Koh.
“Battlejack truly innovates on the RPG genre, evolving gameplay mechanics inspired by blackjack through a vast fantasy world, colorful and diverse heroes and a deep strategic experience.”
#2: King continues soft launch spree with new IP Brick Wizard
More Info
King continues soft launch spree with new IP Brick Wizard »King clearly really loves soft-launching games - it had four on the market before it decided to soft launch its latest game Brick Wizard.
Another in its growing list of midcore games that may or may not see the light of day, you can play it right now if you're on Android in Thailand.
It's a brick-smashing game like the classic Breakout, but there are also monsters to defeat and fairies to save, if breaking bricks wasn't enough for you.
And it's full of King's charm and lovely artwork, so you can expect bright colours and smiles all round, and not a single candy in sight.
#1: Five years on: Supercell on the evolution of Clash of Clans
More Info
Five years on: Supercell on the evolution of Clash of Clans »If you've never heard of Clash of Clans, then frankly it's amazing you've found your way onto this website - the game is such a big part of mobile gaming culture that it's basically unavoidable.
Five years ago nobody could have predicted that the game would last as long as it did, but thanks to a dedicated team at Supercell evolving and updating the title, it's maintained its hold on the market.
"Our approach to this is what it's been from day one: try to make Clash of Clans the best game we can," says Senior Server Engineer Jonas Collaros.
"In our industry, it can be sometimes easy to lose sight of the fact that, for our players, the bottom line is a fun, quality game experience that they can play day after day for years."