Hot Five

Top 50 mobile game developers, running in-game events in Candy Crush Saga, and decrypting cryptocurrency

The hottest articles of the last week

Top 50 mobile game developers, running in-game events in Candy Crush Saga, and decrypting cryptocurrency

You may have heard of our Top 50 Developer list for 2017, despite how quiet we’ve been about it by publicising it every day for the last week.

The list recognises the innovators, the money-makers and those that have successfully expanded their business since our 2016 top 50. It seems our readers are very interested in finding out who made it in, as it was our most read article by far of the last week.

Second on our Hot Five is our interview with King Producer Andra Petrosan on just how it goes about making live events in one of the world’s biggest games, Candy Crush Saga.

Cryptocurrency, Blizzard and grossing power

Our third most read article was our chat with Reality Gaming’s Tony Pearce to decrypt the world of cryptocurrency as we ask how it can all work for mobile games.

Next up was the news that Blizzard has itself leaked that it’s working on a new mobile MMO RTS, and the grossing power of Supercell’s ageing but lucrative games.

 


Click here to view the list »
  • 5 Years later Supercell's ageing games continue to show their grossing power

    Years later Supercell's ageing games continue to show their grossing power logo

    Success seems to follow Supercell round, though that’s probably to do with its extraordinarily high barrier for games that it releases.

    Its oldest games Clash of Clans and Hay Day were both launched in 2012 and while inevitably they have declined from the height of success, these aging games are still proving their grossing power.

    But even as one game may start to fade away, Supercell is ready and waiting with new titles, as happened with Boom Beach and Clash Royale.

    And now of course, there’s the soft-launched Brawl Stars, which could prove yet another hit for the mobile powerhouse.


  • 4 Blizzard developing new MMO RTS for mobile

    Blizzard developing new MMO RTS for mobile logo

    Blizzard has had a runaway success with CCG Hearthstone across platforms, including mobile.

    And with the market overall now leading PC, it’s no wonder the company is looking to do more on the platform.

    To that end Blizzard, the company behind hits like World of WarCraft and Overwatch, is hiring for an unannounced project to deliver a “new gaming experience for mobile”.

    It also seemingly accidently confirmed it as a “MMO RTS” in a job ad it has now been taken off the site.


  • 3 What the hell is cryptocurrency and how does it work for mobile games?

    What the hell is cryptocurrency and how does it work for mobile games? logo

    Cryptocurrency is becoming ever more widely used across the globe, but what exactly is it? And what the hell is an initial coin offering that companies are getting so excited about?

    To decrypt it all, we spoke to Reality Gaming Group co-founder Tony Pearce to learn exactly how it all works. He should know too; his company has raised more than $3.5 million from its own ICO.

    “Cryptocurrency is a form of digital money that is designed to be secure and, in many cases, anonymous,” he said.

    “It is a currency associated with the internet that uses cryptography, the process of converting legible information into an almost uncrackable code, to track purchases and transfers. The first and most famous cryptocurrency was Bitcoin, which was created in 2009. There has been a proliferation of cryptocurrencies in the past decade and there are now more than 900 available on the internet.”


  • 2 How King runs live in-game events in Candy Crush Saga

    How King runs live in-game events in Candy Crush Saga logo

    You may have heard of a little game called Candy Crush Saga.

    It’s become one of the highest grossing and most played games of all time, spawning a few sequels and even its own TV show.

    Keeping a game so popular over years isn’t an easy challenge though, so we spoke to King Producer Andra Petrosan to learn how it runs live in-game events to keep players engaged.

    “It’s all about getting the balance right between making events both challenging and fun,” said Petrosan.

    “Many of our players are seeking a challenge that will push them but we don’t want to make it too difficult that players simply switch off. We also need to be careful to stick to the core themes of Candy Crush Saga as that’s ultimately what our players love and come back for. “


  • 1 Top 50 Mobile Game Developers of 2017

    Top 50 Mobile Game Developers of 2017 logo

    The eighth edition of the annual PocketGmer.biz top 50 Developer list finally landed this week.

    It ranks the hottest mobile games companies across the globe, based on the quality of games, innovation, revenue, business growth, and impact on the industry.

    This year’s list had 16 new entries from 2016, showing just how competitive the sector is and how studios from anywhere in the world can make it big in mobile.

    Our readers were interested to know who made it onto the list, as it was our most read article of the week.


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Craig Chapple is a freelance analyst, consultant and writer with specialist knowledge of the games industry. He has previously served as Senior Editor at PocketGamer.biz, as well as holding roles at Sensor Tower, Nintendo and Develop.