Zynga appoints new GM, why Unity shouldn't sell just yet, and does BioShock sink or swim on iPad?

Last week's top 5 stories

• 5 Can randomness play any part in real-money skill-based gaming?

  

  In his recent guest column, Jarrod Epps, CEO and founder of skill game tournament system Cashplay, asked, can randomness play any part in real-money skill-based gaming?

  The answer is a complex one, but unless developers interested in real-money skill-based gaming are willing to wise up and play within the boundaries of the law, they're putting their company directly in the firing line.

  In this area of the industry, bad advice can turn a dream venture into a living nightmare.

  "By definition, a skill game in the vast majority of territories worldwide must have no random chance at all affecting the outcome," explained Epps.

  "Any deviation from this 100% skill factor leads to a game being considered gambling and therefore illegal in most territories.

  "In this case, if you were to act upon the advice you were receiving in terms of the definition of skill, you would be putting your company at risk.

  "The fact is that getting bad advice, and then acting upon it, can get you in serious legal hot water through fines or even imprisonment."

  
  

• 4 From IAPs to Clash Mobs: Chair on learning from the 50 million players of its Infinity Blade trilogy

  

  Infinity Blade has been on a long and winding journey since it burst onto mobile screens all those years ago.

  Since then, Chair has created the holy trinity of mobile action games, however, every journey has an end, and, with Infinity Blade III getting its final update, Chair's is finally over.

  To commemorate the moment, we spoke to Chair duo Donald and Laura Mustard to look back on what made one of mobile's defining franchises so special.

  "I remember I was playing Mass Effect 2 on my console and Sword & Poker on my iPhone, but I was spending more and more time on my iPhone. It was an epiphany for me about of the future of gaming," said Donald Mustard.

  "Then Apple approached Epic to get Unreal 3 running on iOS. Then Steve Jobs asked if we could get something together in five weeks. It was too big an opportunity to pass up."

  "We had the idea for a sword-fighting game which was more than just clicking buttons, and we knew there was nothing like it on mobile in terms of the level of graphics and the tight timing of gameplay."

  
  

• 3 Does BioShock sink or swim on iPad?

  

  It wouldn't be ridiculous to think that BioShock on mobile was doomed from the start.

  With free-to-play gaming dominating the charts, and mobile users preferring titles that can be consumed in short, sharp bursts, it seemed unlikely that 2K's decision to bring a 7 year-old, narrative-drive, console shooter to mobile would pay off.

  Priced at $14.99, BioShock is a huge gamble, but was it a risk worth taking, or a moment of madness?

  We found out in last week's Charticle.

  
  

• 2 Zynga appoints EA, Sony, Lionhead veteran Pete Hawley as GM

  

  Zynga continued to reshuffle its deck with the appointment of Pete Hawley as its new vice president and general manager.

  Industry vet Hawley, who was previously CEO of location-based outfit Red Robot Labs, has worked in a number of senior positions at big-hitting studios such as Lionhead, Sony London, and Criterion.

  Hawley's appointment is unlikely to be the last move Zynga makes this year, and it's expected that the restructuring - which saw SVP Travis Boatman, studio president Steve Chiang, and head of acquisitions Terence Fung leave - will continue in the coming months.

  
  

• 1 An ode to Unity: Selling is inevitable, but can you just hold out a little longer?

  

  Unity is no stranger to buyout rumours. A firm of Unity's size and success will, and should, have suitors knocking on the door.

  However, those rumours are slowly becoming more grounded in reality, with new sources suggesting Unity is now actively looking for a deal.

  Though, according to PocketGamer.biz contributing editor Keith Andrew, right now, that'd be a mistake. Unity should sell, but it's imperative the firm holds out a little bit longer.

  "The real problem with [Unity selling up] is that, firstly, it's highly likely the only companies capable of spending the kind of cash required to buy Unity will be of Amazon and Microsoft's size and, even more importantly, those most likely to be interested in picking up the firm are going to be platform holders," explained Andrew.

  "Unity's major selling point is that it makes jumping from platform to platform or targeting them all at the same time arguably as simple as it has ever been.

  "Any company hoping to take advantage of Unity's current dominance to push their own angle would need to preserve one of the major reasons that dominance exists in the first place – Unity is for everyone."