Opening and shutting GamerGate, Star Wars, World of Tanks, and we've been Tango-ed

Last week's top 5 stories

• 5 Simplified, faster and more intense: The making of World of Tanks Blitz

  

  World of Tanks is a free-to-play poster boy, and has helped elevate developer Wargaming to the next level.

  Until recently, however, World of Tanks wasn't available on mobile: an odd situation given the platform's love affair with freemium.

  So, with that wrong finally righted, we caught up with Wargaming's Dmitry Yudo to find what went on behind the scenes of World of Tanks Blitz - the mobile version of the popular tank battler.

  "We decided we needed to develop an MMO PvP game for the mobile devices while staying true to original World of Tanks gameplay," recalled Yudo.

  "We worked diligently to make the game controls as easy and intuitive as World of Tanks, while providing stable server performance and internet connection.

  
  

• 4 Can Star Wars: Commander conquer the mobile galaxy?

  

  Not so long ago, in a galaxy very close to home, the development team over at the Disney-owned LucasArts decided to try and make a hyperspace jump into the mobile universe by releasing Star Wars: Commander: a Clash of Clans-style strategy title set in the Star Wars universe.

  It might not be a noble tactic, but if you want to make a buck, it makes sense to stand on the shoulders of giants.

  However, will consumers fall for such an obvious Jedi mind trick, or will memories of previous clone wars put them off LucasArt's title?

  We found out in last week's Charticle.

  
  

• 3 GamerGate demonstrates game culture is sick. We all have to cure it

  

  In his latest Stateside feature, PocketGamer.biz regular Carter Dotson tackled the contentious issue of GamerGate.

  Throwing in his two cents, Dotson suggested that the GamerGate hashtag proves that there is unrest in video game culture, and that, whether we like it or not, it proves change is on the way.

  "There will be improvements for all when gaming culture is more open and friendly to everyone, but especially to those outside the mainstream/traditional audiences," explained Dotson.

  "And I think gamers will find that if they open up, there will be room for crushing candy, crushing depression, and crushing skulls in gaming.

  "In order for this to happen, however, the change that is happening in gaming has to work out for gamers as well.

  "If not, then there will be more culture wars – and there's plenty of people with powerful poison ready to silence those they disagree with."

  
  

• 2 GamerGate is one gate that needs to be kept open

  

  Another man who was eager to wade into GamerGate's murky waters was PocketGamer.biz contributing editor, Keith Andrew.

  Unlike some commentators, Andrew doesn't believe that openly dismissing 'GamerGaters' is the right course of action. Ignoring, rather than engaging with, problems is never the answer.

  "For self proclaimed 'gamers', GamerGate provides a common enemy. A handy target," said Andrew.

  "Evidence of just how diluted the original message behind GamerGate has become can be seen when you actually take to Twitter and ask people what the hashtag actually means.

  "The more you talk, the more noise gets thrown in your direction, and in a few minutes and you'll likely be told it's everything from anger at journalists daring to tackle homophobia, or sexism in the industry, to a worldwide conspiracy where figures from pretty much every media outlet you can think of have somehow come together to push propaganda designed to crush the will of the 'gamer'.

  "It's a situation that means that, for the people looking to take on GamerGate, there's no one issue they can take on and debate."

  
  

• 1 Tango boasts its social stickiness as Road Riot breaks 1 million DAUs barrier

  

  Last week, US social networking outfit Tango announced that its internally-developed tribute to Spy Hunter, Road Riot, had broke the 10 million download barrier.

  Tango is working hard to find its feet on the mobile market, and, with Road Riot already seeing 1 million active daily users, it's clearly reaping the rewards.

  "Our relationships with developers have deepened, and we've been able to prove that on- and off-platform marketing brings eyeballs to the games that Tango publishes, with Road Riot being a great example of this success," said Jim Ying, Tango's vice president of games publishing.

  And underlining Tango's social reach, this news was enough to be our most read story of the week.