Hot Five

Hot Five: PocketGamer.biz's Top 50 Developers 2013, where to party at GDC 2013, and why Real Racing 3 isn't a revenue raiser

Last week's top five stories

Hot Five: PocketGamer.biz's Top 50 Developers 2013, where to party at GDC 2013, and why Real Racing 3 isn't a revenue raiser
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.



On the wrong track: Why Real Racing 3 will never be a top grossing game

While the rest of the web was lapping up an infographic detailing EA's line that Real Racing 3 is already a huge success, editor-at-large Jon Jordan decided to give his own view.

In short, Real Racing 3 has, to date, given little indication that it's going to be a regular feature in the top 10 grossing chart, which was surely EA's aim.

"Perhaps the bigger question is whether free-to-play racing games are suited to generate the sustained levels of high monetisation seen by card-battlers and RPG/PVP games," offered Jordan.

"We'll get see how Kabam approaches the racing game dilemma when it releases details of its F2P Fast & Furious tie-in title this week."



Studio making 'Clash of Clans on steroids' get $2.9 million, partly from Supercell CEO's VC fund

Set up by four Finnish veterans but based in Singapore, Nonstop Games is – in editor-at-large Jon Jordan's view – making "Clash of Clans on steroids."

The game is in part being funded by a 2.9 million seed round led by Nordic outfits Creandum and Lifeline Ventures, with the studio's next step being to set up a base in San Francisco.

The company will also expand, setting up an office in San Francisco for marketing and user acquisition.

"We are extremely excited to be supported by world class investors in our mission to build the next generation of free-to-play games for touch devices," said Nonstop CEO Juha Paananen.



The Charticle: 4 years on, Doodle Jump is still generating $20,000 a week on iPhone

Do you remember Doodle Jump? Time was, you couldn't move for articles on PocketGamer.biz about Lima Sky's chart topper, but things have definitely be quieter of late.

Time for The Charticle to see how a near four year old iOS classic is performing in 2013, then. Can the big hits of today expect to be making money in a few or more years' time?

"According to Distimo figures covering the period from 4 March – 10 March 2013, Doodle Jump for Android grossed just $2,000. The iPad version, meanwhile, took just over $5,000 in revenue," detailed new editor James Nouch.

"The iPhone version is top dog, though, grossing $20,000 across the seven days in question. It may not be millions, but it's important to bear in mind that these are the revenue figures of a four-year-old game."

That'd be a yes, then.



The Ultimate Game Developers Conference 2013 Party Guide

By the time you read this, GDC 2013 will likely be in full swing, with the first night of parties a matter of hours away.

In the run up to day one, however, we decided to give you the low down on the best spots to head for in San Francisco, complete with links to the sites where you can book your spot.

Aren't we nice? Of course, the main party to have in your book's is Pocket Gamer's, due to kick off at 9pm – incidentally, almost straight after the Pocket Gamer Awards. Click here for more details.



PocketGamer.biz Top 50 Developers 2013

It's that time of year again. The time of year when PocketGamer.biz drops 50 names of developers into a hat, tosses them into the air, and attempts some kind of order out of them.

In reality, there's a set strategy employed when determining just who are the top 50 mobile developers across the planet, though we couldn't possibly reveal it here.

So, did your studio rise or fall over the last 12 months? Or are you a new entry? Check out the rundown in full here.

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With a fine eye for detail, Keith Andrew is fuelled by strong coffee, Kylie Minogue and the shapely curve of a san serif font.