Premium games are dead, Nordeus is hiring, and great Scott, Wooga is working on a Futurama game
The days are getting shorter and colder as we slide into December, but we've got the five hottest articles of last week to help warm you up a bit.
First up is Wooga's first attempt at a branded IP in the form of Futurama: Game of Drones, a match-4 puzzler that should combine the casual talents of its developer with some serious writing talents.
Secondly, Unity stop by to tell us about its report on why you should be using an external game engine to develop your game on, rather than wasting time building your own.
Thirdly, anyone looking to get into the games industry can get some tips from the HR Manager over at Nordeus, a company currently hiring as it looks to diversify out from football management.
And finally, guest columnist Torulf Jernström has a think about premium games, while Farm Away! gets the IAP Inspector treatment.
Take a look at the list and see what you might learn.
#5: Ad to play: the continuous harvesting cycle of Farm Away
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Ad to play: the continuous harvesting cycle of Farm Away »Hailed as a "view-to-play" game, Farm Away! may seem a little out of our IAP Inspector's jurisdiction, but that didn't stop him from casting his eye over it.
And while he wasn't the game's biggest fan, he did have some nice things to say about the integration of ads and minimal use of IAPs.
But as he says, with Farm Away! not being the deepest of games, "it will be interesting to see whether Futureplay can apply its model to a more involved experience."
#4: Can premium mobile games make a comeback?
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Can premium mobile games make a comeback? »"The current top 100 grossing chart on iOS is 99 F2P games, and Minecraft. It has been pretty consistently like that for the past 2 years."
So says Tribleflame CEO Torulf Jernström, who last week pondered on whether premium games can make money in the current landscape.
In short: No. Unless you're making something that will be revered for years to come.
#3: How to get a job at Top Eleven developer Nordeus
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How to get a job at Top Eleven developer Nordeus »Nordeus may be known for its football management game Top Eleven, but the developer is looking to grow and diversify its catalogue, with positions opening up in both Belgrade and London.
We asked HR Manager Milena Dulanovic a few questions about the company, and what it takes to be a Nordeus employee.
In Dulanovic's own words, "even if the most skilled and experienced person available walked through our doors, we simply wouldn’t hire them if their personality wasn’t the right fit for Nordeus."
#2: Unity makes the argument why you should move to an external game engine
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Unity makes the argument why you should move to an external game engine »When it comes to making games, one of the most important questions a developer must ask themselves is what engine they're going to use.
While it may be tempting to build your own, the amount of engines and middleware available to you is staggering, and it doesn't make much sense to spend time building your own anymore.
That said, it can still be daunting to decide which engine to commit to, so Unity has produced a guide to help you decide.
It covers everything from why you should work with an external engine, and how to actually go about integrating the engine.
#1: Wooga gets into the IP game with the announcement of Futurama: Game of Drones
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Wooga gets into the IP game with the announcement of Futurama: Game of Drones »Despite suffering two cancellations, there's still a lot of fondness for cartoon series Futurama. A mobile game was only inevitable, really.
German casual games developer Wooga has taken on the task, marking its first foray into the world of branded IP, while sticking to its guns with a casual match-4 puzzler.
It's also brought in some impressive writing talent to pen the story, with Dave Grossman (Secret of Monkey Island, The Wolf Among Us), Jonathon Myers (Game of Thrones: Ascent) and Patric M. Verrone, a member of the original Futurama writing team, all lending their skills.
The game's already in soft launch on Android in Argentina, Kuwait, and Mexico, if you're interested in trying it out.
