The PocketGamer.biz week that was: Microsoft's Surface wows with Windows, Apple expands the App Store, and Nintendo unveils brand new (same old) handheld

Product: PocketGamer.biz

by James Nouch

Though much rumoured in the days leading up to its unveiling, you shouldn't underestimate the surprise that greeted Microsoft's Surface when it was revealed to the world.

Windows 8 tablets were already on the cards, but one made by Microsoft itself – whether a genuine attempt to take on iPad, or as is more likely, a message to manufacturers as to just what the OS is capable of – seemed unlikely.

The Redmond giant wasn't the only company to announce new hardware this week, however.

Nintendo also lifted the lid on the 3DS XL. In case you missed it, it's a 3DS, but bigger, and – for reasons unknown - doesn't come equipped with a second circle pad. An odd choice, yes, but even more bizarre is the fact that European units will ship without an AC adaptor.

Such nonsense is nothing new, however.

The GBA's screen was a murky black hole that trapped all light. The original DS was a little dim too, while also constituting a bulky assault on design aesthetics. The 3DS shipped with a lunatic price-tag and lacked battery stamina.

These are the kind of shenanigans fans have long put up with in order to play Nintendo software on the go. Before we get too frustrated by that fact, however, let's move on to our bite-sized overview of the last seven days' worth of news.

Platform wars

• ABI research shows Apple and Samsung take $90 of every $100 of global smartphone profits.
• CEO David Helgason is on a mission to "democratise game development" with the launch of Unity 4.
• Cuts at Nokia mean its Meltemi OS for low-cost 'rich feature phones' has been abandoned.
• Tizen app developers can now apply for developer hardware units through the Linux Foundation.
• Windows Phone developer support has grown by 521 percent year-on-year, according to a report from Flurry.
• LG, Philips, and Sharp join forces to create multi-platform SDK for smart TV apps, with a beta expected in October.
• Amazon announces plans to roll out its Appstore for Android across Europe this summer. 
• Nintendo unveils the 3DS XL – a new version of its portable console which will boast a 4.88-inch top screen, but still no second circle pad.
• Apple further expands the reach of its App Store, rolling out its digital storefront in 32 new countries. The App Store is now available in 155 countries worldwide.

Funding and acquisitions

• GREE acquires a 49.2 percent stake in newly formed Japanese dev GeePlus.
• Chinese web giant Tencent acquires a strategic minority stake in Unreal Engine developer Epic Games. 
• Kiip has announced the winners of its $100,000 build fund for indies, with 20 studios receiving funding, services, and mentors.
• The real world rewards network is also rumoured to have raised $10 million for an equity stake in the company.
• Mobile engagement platform Beintoo has raised $5 million in its series A funding round.
• Russian publisher Game Insight launches a $3 million indie publishing initiative, and invites developers to directly submit publishing requests.
• Polish developer Vivid Games raises $1 million from 31 private investors, and floats on Warsaw's NewConnect share market.
• Swedish touchscreen developer FlatFrog closes a €20 million funding round led by Intel Capital.
• NaturalMotion raises $11 million from Benchmark Capital to fuel expansion into free-to-play...
• ...But it's not all about the money – says CEO Torsten Reil – Benchmark Capital is the perfect partner for NaturalMotion.
• Family Guy Online developer Roadhouse Interactive has acquired Facebook and iOS studio Embassy Interactive to accelerate its move into mobile.
• Essex University students win £10,000 in Virgin Media's 100 Day Game Project for their puzzler Superfluid.

Industry voices

• A tiny entertainment cost-per-hour is the secret of apps' success, even if they are eating the global wireless spectrum, argues XMG's Ray Sharma.
• Temple Run: Brave inspires PocketGamer.biz editor Jon Jordan to ponder the relationship between perceived quality, price, and app distribution.
• There are more than two app stores – and Thumbstar runs 140 of them. Pocket Gamer EIC Kristan Reed speaks to the company's CEO and CCO, Gareth and Martin Edmondson.

Monetisation

• Google sets out to drive player activity and in-app purchasing with Collectibles Week – seven days of limited-time items across 25 games.
• Facebook is working on a location-based mobile advertising product as the company looks for ways to monetise its mobile users.
• The Social Network is also allowing publishers to charge players using local currency – rather than Facebook credits – and allowing monthly subscriptions for the first time.
• A new partnership with ad network InMobi allows Marmalade's dev community to easily implement in-app advertising.
• Research from Arkadium shows that RPG and strategy game fans are among the biggest spenders in Facebook games, along with online shoppers and social butterflies.

Microsoft's new line-up

• Microsoft unveils Surface – a 10.6 inch Windows 8 tablet available in ARM and Intel variants...
• ...But the giant didn't inform its OEM partners of its plans to launch a rival product, and they weren't thrilled to find out about it.
• Still, PocketGamer.biz deputy editor Keith Andrew argues that having a flagship Windows 8 device will give other manufacturers a standard to measure up against. A good thing for Windows 8 on tablets.
• Microsoft also unveiled Windows Phone 8 this week, explaining that the mobile OS shares a 'core' with Windows 8, and will support C/C++ development.
• But current Windows Phone users won't be able to upgrade to Windows Phone 8 – a break in the ecosystem which will be painful but necessary, according to Keith Andrew.

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