Games industry roundup: Why Introversion sold Prison Architect, blockchain's EverDreamSoft rethinks business, and Machinima shuts down

• 1 PC game news and insights

  Here are the five hottest stories from our sister-site PCGamesInsider.biz for the last week.

  Why selling the Prison Architect IP is Introversion's road to future success

  The simulation title might have provided the studio with stability but director Mark Morris says that the developer works best with its back against the wall

  Good Shepherd: More storefronts means a publisher's role has to change (again)

  The indie publisher's producer Lélia Peuchamiel talks platforms, indie publishing and games that put prestige before profit

  Meet GameMaker Studio firm YoYo Games' new GM Stuart Poole

  We chat to the man himself about GM2's launch, the future of the indie engine firm and when we'll hear more from its publishing label

  What we learnt at Ludicious - Zürich Games Festival 2019

  Storytelling to your strengths, politics and workers rights dominated the Swiss indie festival this year

  Introversion has stepped away from Order of Magnitude, but the game's DNA lives on in next project

  Title was announced in April 2018 but wasn't getting the team excited; new title "isn't a million miles away" from the sci-fi colony sim

  
  

• 2 Mobile game news and insights

  Here are the five hottest stories from our sister-site PocketGamer.biz for the last week.

  Apex Legends battle royale could get mobile cross-play

  EA and Respawn’s free-to-play battle royale is blowing up on PC and console. EA CEO Andrew Wilson said the company is looking at the potential for cross-platform play for the title and across its portfolio - including on mobile.

  Miniclip acquires Head Ball 2 dev Masomo

  Mobile games publisher Miniclip has added the Head Ball IP to its large portfolio with the acquisition of Masomo. The Head Ball franchise has generated 60 million downloads to date.

  TabTale on the state of hyper-casual and how it’s found success

  This article dives deep into TabTale’s hyper-casual business, where it’s found success, and how.

  More games, more M&A, more growth: Why Zynga CEO Frank Gibeau is bullish for 2019

  Zynga says its turnaround from the dark days of its lengthy mobile transition are now over. We caught up with CEO Frank Gibeau on how it got there and what the company’s plans for 2019 are.

  EA Mobile downbeat on year-end earnings in face of “increasingly challenging” market

  EA Mobile is struggling. Bookins fell 22 per cent year-on-year in the publisher’s latest financials, with Command & Conquer Rivals failing to make its mark despite an apparently promising successful soft launch.

  
  

• 3 Blockchain game news and insights

  Here are the five hottest stories from our sister-site BlockchainGamer.biz for the last week.

  CryptoWars announces its second tournament

  CryptoWars has used an interesting method of testing out the potential for its game and Loom’s blockchain. It has managed to do so by hosting a total of four tournaments in-game, which has already benefitted the team immensely.

  Forest Knight is starting off the [Lunar] New Year with a giveaway

  For those taking the time to celebrate the Lunar New Year, this week includes a lot of celebration.

  EverDreamSoft announces ‘freeze’ and rethink of business strategy

  An ‘unfavorable climate’ has set into the cryptocurrency and blockchain space, hitting blockchain projects hard at times. One of the unfortunate and more recent examples of this was EverDreamSoft, which has made an announcement to this effect.

  Top performing blockchain games – January

  With the new year here to wear down, we take a look at some of the blockchain gamings big performers.

  Nimbus Interactive announces integration of Enjin into Containment Corps

  Nimbus Interactive, the development company behind the PC Game, Containment Corps, gave an interesting announcement this week. The team announced through Steam that it will officially be joining the Enjin Multiverse, as well as leveraging the ERC1155 token standard.