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The PocketGamer.biz week that was: Microsoft prepares to open the 8th Window while Apple stretches the screen

The past 7 days in bite-sized portions

The PocketGamer.biz week that was: Microsoft prepares to open the 8th Window while Apple stretches the screen
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iOS + Android + Java ...

So, the iPhone 5 has been announced, and it's a little bit longer than the last one. Big woop, eh?

This is the second year running that reaction to an iPhone unveiling has tended towards disappointment – not because the device looks bad, but because it doesn't look like a radical departure from what's gone before.

Of course, Apple is in an invidious position every time it releases a new device - the more changes Apple implements, the more fragmented its product range becomes.

Product unity has always been a key strength of iOS.

And it's worth remembering that changes at the top-end of Apple's product line affect lesser devices too.

For instance, those who purchased the third generation iPad at launch were wowed by its retina display, but 8GB iPod touch owners may have been less pleased – since app file sizes ballooned once devs started adding extra high-resolution textures to their universal apps.

Developers are affected too, of course.

Every new screen size, resolution or aspect ratio is another setup they have to support. At a time when rival mobile operating systems have finally closed the gap in terms of usability, Apple has to guard its app ecosystem more closely than ever, since that's the one area in which Apple's offering undoubtedly trumps that of its rivals.

Conservative product refreshes help minimise disruption for developers and owners of other iOS devices, and ensure that Apple's app advantage remains intact – at least, for now. But that's enough from me.

Let's move on to our bite-sized overview of the last seven days' worth of news.

Platform wars
Funding
  • PocketGamer.co.uk deputy editor Mark Brown meets with some crowdfunding success stories, and they explain that Kickstarter is not only harder work than it seems, but that it should only be a last resort.
Monetisation
  • This week's Charticle examines Clash of Clans, and finds that a 'tablet first' strategy hasn't stopped Supercell's city-builder ascending the iPhone top grossing charts.
  • We talk to the CEO and CTO of Elblabs about their GameAdTrading platform, which allows devs to hook up their games with advertising campaigns with a simple Unity plugin.
  • Gaming historian Zoya Street examines the ways in which Pocket Legends attaches value to its in-app purchases.
Industry voices
iPhone 5
James Nouch
James Nouch
PocketGamer.biz's news editor 2012-2013