Korea shuts down Facebook gaming, the making of Modern Combat 5 and Temple Run goes VR

Last week's top 5 stories

• 5 M&A the Chinese way: 5 surprising acquisitions of game companies

  

  The news that Ningxia Zhongyi Cashmere, a Chinese textile company, is getting involved in the country's mobile games industry might, understandably, raise a few eyebrows.

  However, if you follow the Chinese market closely, this sort of M&A activity will seem almost normal.

  See, in China, there have been plenty of deals that, on the surface, appeared to make absolutely no sense, and if that isn't reason enough to take a look back at some of the most surprising acquisitions in history, we don't know what is.

  "The Susino Umbrella Company used to be a respected manufacturer and global distributor of umbrellas," recalled PocketGamer.biz editor-at-large Jon Jordan.

  "However, in 2013, it decide to make a radical change, spending over $600 million on Chinese game publisher Youzu. It used to be succesful PC developer, which - in keeping with the broader trends in the Chinese market - has since switched its focus to mobiles games.

  "What happened following the deal was that the combined company sold off all its umbrella-related assets to another company, meaning that Youzu effectively replaced Susino Umbrella Company on the Shenzen stock exchange."

  
  

• 4 Q2 in review: IGG and CMGE's growth impresses, while Zynga, King and GungHo have the cash to strike

  

  The mobile games industry just keeps getting bigger and better, which is why we were able to cover the dealings of 28 publicly-floated firms during the last financial quarter.

  As you can imagine, that's a lot of number-crunching, but don't worry, because our self-sacrificing editor-at-large Jon Jordan was on hand to take the bullet and break down an entire quarters worth of data into a tasty little morsel.

  So, if you like numbers, if you live for pie charts, and if you just can't go a day without stealing a look at a sultry colour co-ordinated graph, we have a hunch that you're going to love our Q2 in review.  

  
  

• 3 Ban hammer: Korea's game rating committee shuts down Facebook gaming

  

  Korea's Game Rating and Administration Committee, GRAC, turned a few heads last week when it disabled the region's Facebook games.

  The committee placed stop payments, which are essentially monetisation roadblocks, on all games in order to stop players from dropping cash on micro-transactions.

  The move was allegedly made in an attempt to prevent casino games, which break Korea's anti-gambling laws, from roaming around unchecked.

  However, with a gaming-wide ban now in place, it looks like all developers, guilty or not, are being forced to pay the price.

  
  

• 2 Gunning for glory: The making of Modern Combat 5: Blackout

  

  Convincing gamers that true triple-A titles can be found on mobile is a big ask, and it's also near-impossible to find someone who genuinely believes that the FPS can thrive on touch-screen devices.

  As you can imagine then, it'd be something of a challenge for a studio to try and make a living by pumping out a series of console-quality, big-budget, FPS titles that've been designed specifically for mobile.

  Of course, that didn't stop the Gameloft team from defying the odds and succeeding time and time again with each installment of its Modern Combat  franchise.

  So, with the 5th chapter of the unstoppable series, Modern Combat 5: Blackout, hitting shelves, we spoke to Gameloft's product manager, Valeriu Ispir, to find out more about what goes on behind the scenes at one of the most high-profile mobile game companies in the world.

  
  

• 1 Temple Run goes first person as it supports Samsung Gear VR

  

  Following the news that Samsung will be entering the VR fray with its Gear VR headset, indie-studio imagi has announced that it will be briging its global phenomenon, Temple Run, to the virtual world.

  The new game, suitably titled Temple Run VR, is being pitched as a brand new first person experience that will see players attempting to flee from a horde of demon arctic monkeys - no, not those arctic monkeys.

  Speaking out about his new project, Imangi co-founder, Keith Shepherd, revealed he couldn't wait to join the 'gaming revolution'. 

  "We are incredibly excited to be a part of this revolution in gaming, and we jumped at the opportunity to work with Samsung and Oculus to make Temple Run VR," said Shepherd.

  "Virtual reality opens up a whole new world of possibilities for us to create amazing experiences. We've truly been able to transport players to another world and let them viscerally feel the thrill of the chase."