The PocketGamer.biz week that was: job losses, Nintendo sort of does digital and Keith does Unite 2012

Product: PocketGamer.biz | Publisher: Steel Media

by James Nouch

A new category has been added to our round-up of the last seven days of news, and it's an entirely unwelcome one.

The 'closures and lay-offs' category compiles some of the worst news of the week, including PopCap's 'reorganisation', Sony Mobile's 'restructuring', and Studio Liverpool's 'closure'.

Actually, we didn't really need inverted commas around that last one...

But the bad news doesn't end there. Rumblings this week seem to suggest that OnLive's future is mighty uncertain too, with reports claiming that the company racked up debts amounting to as much as $40 million before it pursued an 'assignment for the benefit of creditors.'

This alternative to bankruptcy allowed OnLive to transfer its assets to a new company (which will operate under the OnLive name), but less than half of the company's staff have been rehired.

These are tough times, of course, and it seems to have been a particularly tough week for the mobile and games industry. Let's just hope we can unceremoniously bin this new category next week.

Now, without further ado, let's move on to our bite-sized overview of the last seven days' worth of news.

Platform wars

• As an alternative to bankruptcy, cloud gaming specialist OnLive transfers its assets to a new company. Reports suggest that the company's debts total $30 - $40 million. 
• Jolla's MeeGo handsets will use ACL Technology to tap into Android's library of apps. 
• With only 400,000 units sold last quarter, the PS Vita's global sales total limps to 2.2 million... 
• ...But Pocket Gamer editor-in-chief Kristan Reed sees light at the end of the tunnel, and reckons new IP and Cross Buy provide reasons to be hopeful for the Vita's future. 
• Red Robot Labs invests $2 million to expand its location-based publishing activities, and we talk to two of the company's executives about the studio's plans to become the 'Steam of mobile.' 

Monetisation

• MacGuffin's Curse developer Brawsome talks to PocketGamer.biz about App Store pricing, sales and why it's so difficult to sell a premium game on iOS. 

Funding, start ups and acquisitions

• UK social studio Playdemic completes a funding round worth at least $3 million, and intends to spend that cash creating the "second generation of social gaming." 
• Juice co-founder Don Whiteford launches mobile and digital studio Nomad Games.

Closures and lay-offs

• A reorganisation at PopCap sees 50 US jobs lost and the future of the company's Dublin office in question, as the studio struggles with the shift to free-to-play, social and mobile. 
• Sony shutters game development at the venerable Studio Liverpool, the team responsible for the Wipeout series. 
• Sony Mobile announces plans to cut 15 percent of its global workforce, resulting in the loss of 1,000 jobs by March 2014. Its offices in Sweden are hit particularly hard. 

Discovery

• Mobile ad solutions start up Human Demand plans to aid indie user acquisition with self serve mobile ad platform 
• Applifier launches Everyplay, an in-app video recording and sharing solution designed to provide iOS games with stronger virality. 

Industry voices

• iQU's Fraser MacInnes stands up and says a few words in defence of Zynga – and suggests a get-rich-quick scheme while he's at it. 
• Robi Ganguly explains how Apptentive's tools enable you to talk directly to your customers. 
• PocketGamer.biz Editor-at-large Jon Jordan discusses why OnLive failed, and concludes that the platform simply didn't know its audience. 
• Pocket Gamer editor-in-chief Kristan Reed gives Nintendo a good slap, tells the company to pull itself together, and delivers a frank critique of its digital strategy. 
• In a comprehensive interview with PocketGamer.biz's new editor, Keith Andrew, veteran game designer Peter Molyneux discusses 22 Cans, free-to-play and development prostitution.

Unite 2012

• Unity announces plans to support Windows Phone 8 and Windows 8, a feature that will be rolled out during Unity 4's release cycle. 
• Unity announces InMobi, GamesAnalytics and PlayHaven tools will plug into its Asset Store. 
• More than half of all mobile developers worldwide are using Unity, reckons CEO David Helgason. 
• Peter Molyneux reveals the five key ingredients to put in your development cooking pot. 
• Keith Andrew talks to Unity CEO David Helgason about Unity 4, Windows Phone 8, smart TVs and giving indies nuclear weapons. 

Click here for all of PocketGamer.biz's coverage from Unite 2012 in one handy list.

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