Weekly Digest: A Closer Look at the Latest in Mobile Gaming

By Paige Cook, Features Editor

The games industry moves quickly and while stories may come and go there are some that we just can’t let go of…So, to give those particularly thorny topics a further going over we’ve created a weekly digest where the members of the PocketGamer.biz team share their thoughts and go that little bit deeper on some of the more interesting things that have happened in mobile gaming in the past week.

Console price for console quality: Resident Evil 4 to be $60 on iOS

As someone who plays games across all available platforms, this story is interesting. First, it’s impressive to think that a game like Resident Evil 4 Remake will run on a mobile device. It really does go to show how far tech has come and opens up entirely new avenues for what we think of when it comes to games on mobile devices… Granted that it does indeed perform well.

The main talking point though, is the price tag. It may be jarring for mobile gamers to see the hefty price of console gaming coming to mobile. While players are getting the whole RE4 Remake experience and your purchase is cross-progression with other Apple Devices, I still think mobile gamers who are fans of these bigger AAA titles likely have another platform to play these experiences on.

This begs the question, will hardcore gamers ever choose a mobile version over that of PC or console? Apple certainly thinks so, and time will tell as we see more big-name titles coming to mobile devices.

Can young Sephiroth save Square Enix from crisis?

By Aaron Astle, News Editor

As a big JRPG fan, the influence Square Enix has had on the genre is undeniable. So, it’s a shame to see the company floundering – closing down games and releasing many more as Japan exclusives. Even the company’s Final Fantasy series isn’t doing so hot right now, leading to a serious loss in shares.

Final Fantasy VII: Ever Crisis has potential, gaining an innate boost from the prestige of the VII moniker. But it needs more than that to turn things around for Square. Perhaps the charm and guile of a beloved series villain?

Introducing a young Sephiroth with new story content is certainly a power play on Square’s part. For now, we just have to wait and see exactly how powerful this One-Winged Angel is…

Over 90 industry partners are backing SpecialEffect’s One Special Day fundraiser

By Lewis Rees, Staff Writer

Gaming is a hobby that has something for everyone, whether that’s giving people the chance to connect with fans all over the world or experience being the hero of their own stories. However, it’s also a hobby that has historically had significant barriers in place affecting people with disabilities. While more and more games are going out of their way to include robust accessibility features, the fact remains that more can be done.

With that in mind, SpecialEffect’s mission to help lower the entry barriers is a remarkable one, and with One Special Day attracting the attention of some of the biggest names in gaming across platforms highlights that the industry at large is aware of where improvements can be made.

Technology has played a big part in making the world more accessible, and as such it’s important that companies worldwide take note not just of how they can make the world a better place, but how they can make technology itself more accessible.

Bidstack’s big cheeses talk the past and future of intrinsic advertising

By Iwan Morris, Staff Writer

I personally found the business decisions behind intrinsic advertising a fascinating read. While the benefits for players are obvious – intrinsic advertising being so much less intrusive – I’ve often theorized about how it helps brands too, putting players in a better state of mind before they observe their ad and not dragging them out of the experience.

This is one of those times where I think outsiders coming in and disrupting the game industry can be a good thing. Too often, we think of in-game advertising in terms of raw statistics and KPIs and forget that other gaming forums and events have been doing them for years without bouncing people off.

I suppose the next thing is to see how well esports athlete sponsorships do…