Week in Views – | PocketGamer.biz

• 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 this week

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.

Apple’s iPhone shipments in China surge nearly 40% in May, fuelled by aggressive price cuts

Come on. It’s genius. What do you do when you’re forced into third place in the fiercely fought Chinese handset market? Easy. You create the first iOS hike in years that’s actually worth paying notice to and you ensure that only the latest models will run it, instantly spiriting a ‘major upgrade year for 2024’ out of nowhere.

But given that they won’t (and, let’s face it, can’t) launch iPhone 16 until September 2024 what do they do in the meantime? They give China ‘grab ’em while you can’ across-the-range price reductions on their current phones and enjoy bumper sales that keep the cash flowing in while encouraging thrifty Android users to finally hop on board the more prestigious iOS platform and hopefully stick around.

And best of all? These new users will have to upgrade their newly out-of-date phones in September like the rest of us if they want to enjoy Apple’s new iOS 18 AI antics! Welcome to iOS, fellas. Hope you enjoy (being taken for) the ride!

Finnish startup Bitmagic raises $4 million for AI platform able to create games from text prompts

Another week, and here I am talking about AI again. This time, Finnish startup Bitmagic has raised $4 million for its AI platform, which can create games from text prompts. The group has secured investment funding from Korea Investment Partners and additional backing from Supercell. The platform itself is currently available on Steam in early access.

This is a tough one because I feel split between two perspectives. Of course, AI is the big buzzword, so a project like this is precisely what investors are looking for as they want to stay ahead of the curve. And watching the trailer on Steam, there’s no doubt how useful it is to type ‘Make my characters head bigger’ and VOILÀ it happens! It opens the barriers for people who don’t know how to code, so that they can make games. 

However, If we get to the point where games are being made by simply typing in some words, and it all just happens before your eyes, I wonder how much of the real heart and magic will be lost. Not to mention the use of talented teams that would usually bring these ideas to life.

As a singular platform it works, and it’s a really interesting showcase of what AI can do to create games for people who are full of ideas but have no idea how to execute them.

There are also AI tools out there that can be extremely useful for developers by helping them turn long-winded processes into much easier and quicker ones. I just hope that the games industry is able to strike the right balance in using AI to ensure that we get the best out of it while maintaining the heart that goes into game development.

World of Tanks Blitz celebrates 10th anniversary and $1 billion in revenue

Wargaming’s flagship World of Tanks Blitz is celebrating its 10th anniversary with over $1 billion in lifetime revenue, and in those 10 years the game has grown to feature over 500 tanks for 180 million players.

The Blitz title was Wargaming’s first project designed for smartphones and tablets exclusively, and being on mobile it targets Generation Z far more than its PC counterpart. There are wacky and outlandish tanks, collabs with every brand from Star Trek to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and even vehicular combat on the moon.

If it’s fun, it’s good enough for Blitz. If it’s historical accuracy you’re after, you’re better off on PC. And 10 years in with a $1 billion game that’s still pulling in fans, clearly that strategy’s a winning one.