NaturalMotion founder leaves, Branko Milutinović on the rise of Nordeus, and Supercell kicks off Clash Royale Championship
Clash Royale has had a few tournaments run for it already, but nothing quite to the same scale as some of the big eSports titles out there.
Until now that is, as Supercell has launched its first global, year-long tournament - which most of you will likely already know about, since it was our most read article of last week by a large margin.
In second place on our Hot Five list, we chat to Nordeus CEO Branko Milutinović on the rise of his studio, and how the team pushed on despite being called "idiots" for following their dreams.
Coming and going
Third up is the news that NaturalMotion CEO and Co-Founder Torsten Reil is leaving the company that he helped start after 15 years, stating that he is going to take a "personal break".
And finally, we chat with Henric Suuronen about his decision to join Huuuge Games' Board of Directors, and Jon Jordan digs deep into Nintendo's financials to find out more about its mobile games business.
Click the link below to find out more about the stories that caught our readers' attention over the last week.
#5: Deconstructing Nintendo’s $300 million mobile game success
More Info
Deconstructing Nintendo’s $300 million mobile game success »Trying to extract information on Nintendo's mobile business from its financials can sometimes be like pulling teeth, but hey, someone's got to do it.
Jon Jordan in particularly never likes to shy away from a financial analysis challenge, so he dug deep into the developer's financials to work out just how much revenue it's generating from a handful of games.
Through some crude removal of non-mobile revenues from the "Smart devices, IP related income, etc" category, he estimates the company has so far made $160 million in revenues from Fire Emblem Heroes and Super Mario Run.
"The revenues generated by Miitomo can be ignored; something backed up if we considered its weak top grossing performance on the iPhone chart in key markets such as Japan and the US," he noted.
#4: Henric Suuronen on Huuuge Games’ $1 billion opportunity in social casino games
More Info
Henric Suuronen on Huuuge Games’ $1 billion opportunity in social casino games »Henric Suuronen has been in the mobile games industry for a good long time, holding roles at pivotal developers like Digital Chocolate, Wooga and Nonstop Games.
And now he's moving on to his next adventure, as a board member on social casino developer Huuuge Games' Board of Directors.
"I was one of the first investors to bet on Anton and team Huuuge in early 2015 and I would say that there were three reasons for me to invest," he said in our interview on why he decided to join the board.
"For over 10 years I have known the team's passion and drive to make truly amazing games. This was a very big part of why I invested."
#3: NaturalMotion co-founder and CEO Torsten Reil leaves after 15 years
More Info
NaturalMotion co-founder and CEO Torsten Reil leaves after 15 years »15 years ago, Torstein Reil co-founded NaturalMotion, and the rest, as they say, is history.
But now the CEO has decided to spread his wings and seek out pastures new, as he's leaving the company to take a "personal break".
“I've enjoyed working with Torsten. He’s a fantastic guy, who built a fantastic company with great IP,” said Zynga CEO Frank Gibeau.
“With the release of CSR Racing 2 and Dawn of Titans, NaturalMotion is in a strong position. We all need a rest and we part friends. We wish him all the best on his next chapter.”
#2: "Everyone told us we were idiots!": CEO Branko Milutinović on the rise of Nordeus
More Info
"Everyone told us we were idiots!": CEO Branko Milutinović on the rise of Nordeus »If you've ever wanted to know basically everything there is to know about Nordeus CEO Branko Milutinović, then boy do we have an interview for you.
We spoke to the man at Reboot Develop about how he got started in the industry, how he got started with Nordeus, and why everyone said they were idiots for trying at all.
"I think I was five when I got the first Spectrum. I still have it. I was in love with that. But I was also in love with sports: I was a failed athlete!," he reminisced.
"And I also liked science a lot. So I ended up getting a masters in computer engineering. Since childhood, I’ve been practising all three. I would be at school, and then outside, and then games."
#1: Supercell kicks off year-long global Clash Royale Crown Championship
More Info
Supercell kicks off year-long global Clash Royale Crown Championship »Supercell has done tournaments for its games before, but it's only been small-time stuff - never anything you'd particularly consider a major event.
Well, that's all set to change, as it's now launched a year-long Clash Royale tournament which aims to find the best player in the entire world.
The first year of the tournament is promising $1 million in prizes for the top players, which is plenty of encouragement for fans out there to start brushing up on their skills and getting involved.
And the tournaments are already underway, with open leagues available so that everyone in the entire world has a chance at the top spot.