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.
The Charticle: Are paid games approaching the end of the line?
Are freemium games the future or nothing but a fad?
Last week's look at the ups and downs in the app charts better known as The Charticle took a look at just how paid games are fairing in the current climate.
In short, if the likes of Mini Empires Plus, Horn and Bastion can all still make a name for themselves, then clearly all is not lost for paid releases.
"These games have achieved these ranks without the assistance of a globally recognised brand, and suggest to varying extents that it's still possible for paid games to find sustainable success on mobile," concluded news editor James Nouch.
GDC Online 12: So who came to the Pocket Gamer party?
PocketGamer.biz readers like great pieces of investigative journalism. They also like pictures of industry luminaries looking a little inebriated.
That's why, then, last week's look of the best pictures from Pocket Gamer's party at GDC Online 12 in Austin proved so popular Rovio, PopCap and Supercell, amongst others, all in attendance.
Is Apple clamping down on third-party app promotion services?
One week on, and the original story looking at clause 2.25 a new condition in Apple's App Review Guidelines that makes reference to outlawing apps that promote other titles than the developer's own is still picking up hits aplenty.
The good thing for the story (and the bad thing for developers) is that, despite exploding all over the web, Apple still hasn't broken its silence to cast more light on the affair.
But then again, you never really expected it to, did you?
Opinion: Sony has doomed PlayStation Mobile to obscurity already
After much early promise, it's the view of Pocket Gamer editor-in-chief Kristan Reed that Sony's PlayStation Mobile platform is already set for a life of mediocrity.
"As it stands, the PlayStation Mobile initiative is going to bumble along with a smattering of development support from a few indies hoping to get noticed outside of the maelstrom that is the App Store and Google Play," said Reed.
"Until Sony embraces a try-before-you-buy mentality, or goes straight for the freemium approach, few people are even going to bother checking out what's available."
Clash of Clans and Hay Day pulling in $500,000 a day for Supercell
Almost under the radar, it appears Finnish studio Supercell has become a bit of an App Store star.
According to an interview with the developer by the New York Times, two of its titles Clash of Clans and Hay Day are generating a combined total of $500,000 a day. Take away Apple's cut, and that's $350,000 every 24 hours.
"Over the course of a 30-day month, that equates to $10.5 million a sum that places Supercell in esteemed company," added news editor James Nouch.
"Though stretched across two titles rather than one, such numbers are extremely impressive nonetheless - although, perhaps, not altogether surprising."
Hot Five
With a fine eye for detail, Keith Andrew is fuelled by strong coffee, Kylie Minogue and the shapely curve of a san serif font.
Related Articles
Feature
May 20th, 2024
Hot Five: AppLovin revenue surges 48% Y/Y, Plarium and Big Fish up for sale, and a look inside Merge Mansion's growth
Feature
May 13th, 2024
Hot Five: Dubai's new Gaming Visa, April's mobile game charts, and Xbox studio closures
Feature
May 7th, 2024
Hot Five: Supercell’s Squad Busters supremacy, Brawl Stars bounces back, and a games industry journey at King
Top Stories
Feature
May 20th, 2024
Hot Five: AppLovin revenue surges 48% Y/Y, Plarium and Big Fish up for sale, and a look inside Merge Mansion's growth
Feature
May 20th, 2024
55 top mobile games in soft launch: Squad Busters, Battle Guys: Royale, Plants vs. Zombies 3, LEGO Hill Climb Adventures, and more
Events
Digital Dragons | Europe | May 19th |
GamesBeat Summit 2024 | North America | May 20th |
Mobidictum Meetup Tallinn May 2024 | Europe | May 21st |
Nordic Game Spring 2024 | Nordic | May 21st |
Impact 2024 - Indie Games | May 23rd | |
MomoCon 2024 | North America | May 24th |
Morocco Gaming Expo | Africa | May 24th |
For The Win 2024 | Europe | May 29th |