Mobile reports and market data
Documents
Press Start CEO Luis Ernesto Parra on its YetiZen learnings
Press Start Studios, a mobile game developer with operations in both Colombia and San Francisco, focuses on bridging the gap between hardcore gaming experiences and the accessibility of free-to-play mobile titles.
- Press Start Studios utilizes a dual-location model, combining Colombian talent and government support with a San Francisco presence to maintain 24-hour development cycles.
- The studio’s 2013 participation in the three-month YetiZen incubator program served as a primary catalyst for refining their investment strategies, corporate scalability, and product design.
- The company’s core business strategy focuses on bridging the gap between hardcore action-adventure gaming and the high-retention, free-to-play mobile market.
Casual casino outfit Playnomi talk about their future plans
Playnomi, a San Francisco-based startup participating in the YetiZen business acceleration program, is positioning itself to capture market share in the social casino sector by emphasizing community-driven, team-based gameplay.
- Playnomi is building a network of interconnected social casino games that allow players to maintain consistent virtual currency balances and social circles across multiple titles.
- The company is prioritizing community-driven, team-based gameplay over high-stakes, real-money gambling models to differentiate itself in the mobile market.
- The startup plans to launch three distinct casino titles, including virtual scratch cards, video poker, and team-based blackjack, within a two-month window.
Applicasa's Tzvi Kopetz discusses mobile monetisation
Applicasa functions as a specialized platform designed to enhance mobile game monetization by enabling developers to perform real-time user segmentation and deploy targeted in-game promotions.
- Applicasa’s platform optimizes mobile game monetization by enabling real-time user segmentation and targeted in-game promotions based on geographic location and individual spending habits.
- The core business strategy focuses on increasing conversion rates and player lifetime value by tailoring value propositions to heterogeneous user profiles.
- Founded in July 2011, the company transitioned from a backend-as-a-service provider to a dedicated monetization platform in late 2012.
Sana Choudary talks about the Yetizen accelerator
YetiZen operates as a specialized accelerator and innovation hub based in San Francisco, designed to scale mobile gaming companies and platforms.
- YetiZen is a San Francisco-based accelerator that focuses on scaling post-product, post-traction mobile gaming companies rather than early-stage startups.
- The program is highly selective, accepting a maximum of 10 companies per cohort twice a year out of approximately 1,500 annual applicants.
- YetiZen operates a dual-purpose model that combines a collaborative co-working space with an industry hub that hosted over 150 events for 7,000 participants last year.
NARR8's Darya Trushkina talks nextgen storytelling
NARR8 operates as a multimedia entertainment application designed to modernize the reading experience through interactive, next-generation eBooks.
- NARR8 achieved 800,000 users within its first six months of operation using a freemium business model across iOS and Android platforms.
- The company prioritizes the internal development of original intellectual property over expensive third-party licensing to reduce operational costs and reinvest in content.
- The platform is launching a curated editorial tool that allows external creators to produce interactive stories, with a meritocratic system that rewards high-engagement content with increased visibility.
Nokia Lumia 925 Smart Camera App Test
The Nokia Lumia 925 Smart Camera application introduces advanced computational photography features designed to enhance mobile image capture through post-processing flexibility.
- The Nokia Lumia 925 Smart Camera app uses a burst-capture mechanism to allow users to select the optimal frame from a sequence, mitigating issues with timing and subject movement.
- The application features an action shot mode that overlays multiple frames to visualize movement within a single image.
- A motion focus tool allows users to apply a blur effect to the background while maintaining sharpness on the primary subject.
Hands on with 7-inch tablet and joypad combo Wikipad - running Dead Trigger
The Wikipad represents a hybrid approach to mobile gaming, integrating a 7-inch Android tablet with a detachable, physical controller harness.
- The Wikipad is a 7-inch Android tablet hybrid featuring a detachable physical controller with dual joysticks, a D-pad, and four shoulder buttons to improve precision in complex games.
- The device is powered by a quad-core Nvidia Tegra 3 processor and features a 1280 by 800 IPS display.
- Priced at $249 or £249, the hardware is positioned to compete in the mobile gaming market by offering console-style ergonomics to resolve touchscreen 'finger-blocking' issues.
Racing the Camaro in the new Hunter mode in Real Racing 3
The mid-April update for Real Racing 3 introduces a significant content expansion featuring Chevrolet vehicles and a new gameplay mechanic known as Hunter mode.
- The mid-April update for Real Racing 3 introduces 100 new events and a new gameplay mechanic called Hunter mode.
- Hunter mode tasks players with overtaking a lead vehicle within a single lap, with the target car's head start scaling dynamically based on vehicle performance and track conditions.
- The update features a partnership with Chevrolet to integrate their vehicles into the new content expansion.
The Chevrolet update for Real Racing 3 is revealed
The upcoming Chevrolet content update for Real Racing 3 introduces two iconic American vehicles to the mobile racing title: the Chevrolet Camaro and the Cobalt SS.
- Real Racing 3 is adding the Chevrolet Camaro and Cobalt SS in a mid-April update to address high player demand for the manufacturer.
- The update introduces 100 new gameplay events to increase player engagement and retention.
- Cross-platform cloud save functionality is being implemented across iOS, Android, and Amazon devices to allow seamless transitions between hardware ecosystems.
CEO of DeNA West Clive Downie talks about why it's focused on fun not money
DeNA West prioritizes user engagement and the creation of high-quality content over immediate monetization strategies within the mobile gaming sector.
- DeNA West prioritizes user engagement and long-term retention over immediate monetization, operating on the premise that high-quality content naturally drives sustainable revenue.
- The company manages the Mobage platform, which hosts a portfolio of over 100 first- and third-party mobile game titles.
- DeNA West maintains a workforce of over 300 employees, focusing on internal culture and developer satisfaction to ensure the production of high-quality, engaging gaming experiences.
How Tekken Card Tournament uses augmented reality physical cards
Tekken Card Tournament integrates physical collectible cards with augmented reality technology to bridge the gap between traditional tabletop gaming and digital mobile play.
- Tekken Card Tournament bridges physical and digital gaming by using QR-style codes on collectible cards to import characters and stats into iOS, Android, and PC platforms.
- The game utilizes augmented reality to project 3D character models onto real-world surfaces, allowing players to visualize their physical deck collection in a digital environment.
- Players can use the AR functionality to capture and share photographs of digital character overlays placed on real-world objects or environments.
Halfbrick designer Luke Muscat talks about new game Fish Out Of Water
Fish Out Of Water represents a departure from the established design philosophy at Halfbrick Studios, moving away from traditional endless-runner mechanics toward a physics-based stone-skipping concept.
- Halfbrick Studios is shifting its design focus from endless-runner mechanics to a physics-based stone-skipping concept in its new title, Fish Out Of Water.
- The core gameplay requires players to select three fish from a roster of six to perform throws, which are then evaluated by a panel of five judges with unique scoring priorities.
- A dynamic weather system updates every hour, altering water physics and environmental conditions to ensure that no two gameplay sessions are identical.