Sarah Impey

Editors note: We originally published this earlier this year when Apple Arcade was originally announced. As promised, we’ve updated this post with the latest info about Apple Arcade (latest update October 11th 2019). Updated text will be in italics.   A lot has happened since we last reported on Apple Arcade – the launch has finally happened, games have been confirmed, and we’ve had a taste of what’s to come. To keep you guys up-to-date with what’s going on, here are a few things that have come to light since April 2019, and what this means for mobile game developers. Here’s what we cover (feel free to skip to something in particular, if you’d like): Will Apple Arcade be an industry shake up? What we know about Apple Arcade so far What this means for developers Some useful resources Will Apple...

Psst… This blog belongs to a series of blog posts, all about music in gaming. And in case you missed it, you can find our last one here: Using Music As A Core Mechanic. If I asked you to hum the theme tune to a game right now, which one would you pick? Super Mario Bros? Zelda? Even casual gamers could probably come up with something (probably Tetris). My point is that you could do it – that’s because music in games plays an important role in creating atmosphere and supporting the narrative. And mobile games are no different. A good theme tune can improve players’ experiences by setting the mood and making it memorable. Let’s have a look at a couple of games which are really nailing the music. Oxenfree is a great example of well-executed music in gaming....

Just like gaming, music in itself is its own career and specialty. And unless you’ve studied both gaming and music in your life, then combining the two together can be seen as a massive challenge. So for this post, we’ve spoken to music gaming industry specialists, Amanotes, about the key steps and top tips developers should know when making their own music games. (This will be the first of a series – watch this space for our next blog on music in gaming). If you want to skip to a specific section, feel free to do so here: Why use music as a core mechanic? Different ways you can use music as a core mechanic Things to keep in mind when making your game Useful resources Now that introductions are out the way, we’ll let Amanotes take the mic. Why...

Google has recently dropped some new juicy info. We now know a little bit more about what this platform will bring to the world of gaming. So in this blog post, we try our best to answer some of those all-important questions: Does Stadia have what it takes to really shake up the gaming industry? What do we know so far? And what does this mean for mobile game developers? So, what do we know so far? Since March 2019 (when they first announced Google Stadia), a lot of us have been left in the dark into what is to come with this new service. Thankfully, there’s been a few updates since: Google Stadia will only be available on the Google Pixel Sorry Apple (and pretty much every other mobile provider), but Google has announced that they plan on only...

Thanks for sitting down and chatting with us today. Before we get started, are you able to give us a brief history of Goodgame Studios? Of course. The Wawrzinek brothers (Kai and Christian) and their friend Fabian Ritter founded Goodgame Studios back in 2009. Within the first year, the studio launched 3 games, and quickly grew to around 100 employees. We’re amazed at how successful our games have been these past few years. In 2012, our free-to-play real-time strategy game, Goodgame Empire, received a European Games Award in the “Best Browser Game” category. And in that time, we also hit our first ever milestone – 100 million players. 5 years later, we reached yet another milestone as we generated $800 million in revenue (yes, we definitely popped open a bottle of champs). Our most recent news would be our acquisition...

These days, subscriptions are everywhere. Music, films, TV, food delivery – you can even learn a new language with a subscription. Publishers have been predicting that Netflix-style subscription gaming will take off for a good few years now (this 2014 article shows that people were talking about it five years ago – a lifetime in the world of tech). But mobile gaming is actually pretty far behind in this area, as most developers are still making most of their money from ads or in-app purchases. Recent announcements from Apple and Google of new subscription-based gaming services (Apple Arcade and Google Stadia) could be about to change that though – Vodafone have also announced a partnership with game streaming platform Hatch to bring cloud-based mobile gaming to their 5G service. So in this post, we’re looking at the pros and cons...

Whether it’s your game concept or your core game features, prototyping and testing ideas at an early stage can you let you know a lot about the health of your game, and more specifically, if people are actually going to enjoy it. Ideally, you’ll want to make sure your title is popular the moment it hits the market. Not only is testing in the early stages of development good for getting your game out there, but it can also help you focus your production process on features that will make the most impact on your intended audience. In this post, you’ll find the steps you need to take when conducting user research during that all-important prototype phase. We’ll include a bunch of different examples of specific test methods (with pros and cons of each) as well as advice for pulling...

If you’ve stumbled across this post, then you’re most likely considering publishing your mobile game (congrats!). However, before you dive in and start making money, you’ll need to make an important choice. Self publish, or find a publishing partner? In the past, finding a publisher was almost standard practice due to their expertise in areas like UA & marketing. But now, it has never been easier to self publish, with developers having access to the steam and app stores but also a bunch of online resources and guidelines. However, with this ease comes competition, and as you may be aware, the market has never been more competitive (this is where those nifty Publishers come in handy). So, how do you know what the best option is for your title? To give you a helping hand with this all-important decision, we’ve...

This past year has been excellent for the mobile games industry. In all directions, the sector seems to be expanding, catering to over 2 billion users worldwide and generating well over $100 billion this year alone. But what makes a mobile game particularly great? And what trends can we see from the best games published this year? In no particular order, we take a look at what we think are the best games of 2018 that any developer can take inspiration from. 1. Alto’s Odyssey Developer: Snowman (dubbed Team Alto) Launch date: 21st February 2018 iOS, 25th July 2018 Android Price: $0.99 Available on: iOS, Android Awards won: Apple Design Award for Outstanding Design and Innovation Alto’s Odyssey is the follow-up title to the critically acclaimed Alto’s Adventure, an endless runner snowboard game developed by Snowman. If you’re not familiar with...

Mobile gaming continues to outpace both PC and console segments in the global games market, and now represents over half (51 per cent) of the total market share, according to Newzoo. And in today’s market, developers are no longer making a game for just one device. Mobile games in particular can now be been seen on desktop, Nintendo Switch, and other top consoles. So when keeping all of these unique devices in mind, how can you make sure your game’s UI works across them all? Psst! This post is slightly longer than usual, so you can jump to something in particular, if you want: Keeping it simple – difference in space and layout Choose your controls well – buttons vs. HUDs When to turn up the graphics – quality control UI checklist: testing your interface Top takeaways: everything summed up...

Located within the Copenhagen branch of GameAnalytics is our GameHub, where anyone can come and use the space in order to develop and grow their games. One such group are the developers of Beasts of Burden, who have just started their kickstarter campaign… Thanks for chatting with me today. Can you shed a light on what Beasts of Burden is? Gladly. So, in short, Beasts of Burden – bob – is a game-driven approach to establishing better habits, overcoming stress, and improving feelings of well-being. We’ve based this game on 30 years of research into stress management, and it provides bite-sized and fun activities proven to build a resilient mindset. All of which is delivered by powerful A.I. within one central app. Here’s a nifty video we put together to build a better picture of what it’s about: And how...

Deciding how to visually represent your mobile game is arguably the most exciting stage in your app’s development. But it can also be one of the greatest challenges. Balancing breathtaking visuals or charming aesthetic features with practical and seamless navigation is something not all developers have been able to easily achieve. Essentially, a good design style needs to draw users in to an engaging world through great aesthetics and unique visuals, while also supporting the overall user experience. An amazing hand illustrated backdrop by a talented artist is all well and good. However, if it doesn’t match up with your game’s core functionality, it’s not worth the investment. Whether you’re developing hyper-casual or hard-core games, finding the right design involves an appreciation of your genre’s limitations, a practical understanding of user experiences and most of all, a flare for creativity....