What Games Are

Have We Hit "Peak Mobile"? [TechCrunch]

My latest post on TechCrunch asks whether mobile gaming has reached a point where it is no longer a simple business. With the layoffs at Zynga and Tapjoy, are looking at some canaries in the coalmine? Are we at the point where even the plugin business (monetisation tools, sharing etc) have too many competitors and are about to have a cleanout? Are we entering a phase where relationships and partnerships with platform holders will matter most? Most importantly, will the audience for mobile games follow a line where it becomes more sophisticated and interested in deeper content, or will it remain strictly lightweight and novelty-driven?

You can read the full post here.

Of Spaceteam And "Local" Games [TechCrunch]

I think Spaceteam might be a founderwork. Specifically it might be the first really good example of what I supposed "local" games might look like back in 2011. That's the subject of my column on TechCrunch this weekend.

Tablet First, Mobile Second [TechCrunch]

In my most recent column on TechCrunch I advocated that it's time to stop thinking of tablets as streteched-out mobiles, and develop games for them as a primary platform. With over 100m iPads sold, the launch of the Mini, and many more from other manufacturers to follow, the tablet is no longer just a big-assed iPod Touch.

Here's the rest of the article.

The San Francisco Games Revolution is Over [TechCrunch]

While the social/mobile story had its origins in a dozen different places, it coalesced into a real marketing story in the Bay Area. The resulting revolution fundamentally changed games, both in how we think of them and how the business of games works. Lessons have been learned from the revolution, but its shortcomings also became apparent and eventually overtook it. This is why I think that the "San Francisco Revolution" is over. 

Read more at TechCrunch.

Mobile/Social Games Are Not Safe [TechCrunch}

My latest TechCrunch post talks about a popular misconception over Facebook vs mobile social games. Many providers seem to think that the pressures that have applied in the browser space (currently causing Zynga much pain) do not apply to them. In my opinion they are very wrong.

You can read more about it here.