Glu masters in-game ads, new EU VAT rules, and how Oculus will change the world

Last week's top 5 stories

• 5 Parisian dreams: 5 things we learned at Game Connection 2014

  

  Let's face it, keeping up with everything going on at any industry event is practically impossible.

  You've got people to see, meetings to organise, talks to attend, and free food and drink to devour.

  We understand, then, that some of the more important moments might end up accidentally slipping by, but don't worry, because that's where we come in.

  Taking on the industry at Game Connection 2014, we ventured into the heart of Paris to make sure that you didn't miss out on the lessons that matter.

  Here are the 5 most important we learned.

  
  

• 4 AppLift trio set up PocketWhale for transparent, fraud-free UA

  

  Mobile marketing agency PocketWhale recently made headlines by promising to provide a transparent, fraud-free user acquisition service.

  Indeed, the firm certainly has the experience given three of the co-founders previously worked at fast-growing German UA outfit AppLift - part of the HitFox group of companies.

  The startup, which is based in Paris, with offices opening in San Francisco and Singapore, has already closed a 6-digit seed investment, and is looking to hit the ground running.

  "During the five years I spent working with mobile game publishers worldwide I saw their growing need for a close and transparent partner that would accompany them through the entire user acquisition process," commented co-founder, Jean-Philippe Decka.

  "Most of my former clients did not want to work with generalist agencies that would not understand their specific challenges, and would not dedicate entirely to them as they work with too many different clients. This is how the idea of PocketWhale was born!"

  
  

• 3 Aaron Davis on why Oculus is going to change the world

  

  With an increasing amount of people questioning when Oculus Rift will make it to retail, the VR outfit's head of developer relations, Aaron Davis, headed to Game Connection 2014 to set the record straight.

  According to Davis, those doubters couldn't be more wrong about Oculus' consumer vision, explaining that the company won't be happy until its introduced 1 billion people to the world of virtual reality.

  "We're thrilled that VR is becoming more and more accessible," said Davis.

  "Our goal as a company is that over the next 10 years want to have over 1 billion people engaged in virtual reality.

  "We're not just talking about people in this room. We're talking about old people, young people, people from difference economic backgrounds, living in different countries."

  
  

• 2 Are you ready? Only two months left before new European VAT rules will be in force

  

  New European rules affecting the VAT of digital goods and services are about to come into effect on 1 January 2015.

  Under the new rules, VAT will be paid based on the location of a firm's consumers, rather than the location of the company itself.

  Of course, we're sure you already knew that, and have already been pulling out all the stop to ensure that your accounting systems and payment procedures meet guidelines.

  You didn't? Well, fear not, because all is not lost.

  In fact, Jari-Pekka Kaleva - the COO of European Games Developer Federation and the Senior Policy Analyst in Neogames, the hub of the Finnish game industry - is on hand to show you the ropes and help you get everything in order by the time new year rolls around.

  
  

• 1 If you don't think in-game advertising can generate serious cash, look away now

  

  Everyone in the mobile industry has their own monetisation philosophy. Some hate free-to-play, others detest advertising, and there are those who're quite ready to declare premium a 'dead man walking'.

  Irrespective of your own personal opinions though, our Chart of the Week proves it's silly to write off one method because of inherent distate.

  Indeed, if you're a developer looking to be taken seriously, you should, at the very least, investigate every avenue.

  That's exactly what Glu Mobile does, and it paid off handsomely with the firm generating 14 percent of its non-GAAP Q3 revenue from advertising.

  Who said in-game advertising can't generate serious cash?