PocketGamer.biz Week That Was: BlackBerry's big day, Worms In Space and The Simpsons' millions

This week, RIM finally launched BlackBerry 10.

Oh wait… Actually, that should say BlackBerry launched BlackBerry 10. But branding aside, the big question is: has BlackBerry done enough to reverse its fortunes?

Developer reaction has been positive. Breakeroids developer coolpowers, for instance, didn't think much of the grand unveiling, but noted that "BlackBerry itself has been super supportive."

What's more, from a technical standpoint, coolpowers found BlackBerry 10 extremely easy to work with – a sentiment echoed by many of the studios we spoke to, and a positive sign given BlackBerry's obvious ambition to rapidly expand its library of apps and games.

So BlackBerry isn't out the game yet. Considering that some doubted the company would even survive long enough to launch its new mobile OS, it was, in one sense, an impressive unveiling whatever your opinion of BlackBerry 10.

Anyway, that's quite enough chatter for now. Instead, let's look back at the last seven days on PocketGamer.biz.

• RIM rebrands as BlackBerry, effective immediately, in an effort to solidify its business around the one name.
• BlackBerry launches BlackBerry 10 and it hardware line-up.
• While it's not too little, PocketGamer.biz editor-at-large Jon Jordan says BlackBerry 10 might still be too late.
• ABI Research reckons both BlackBerry 10 and Windows Phone 8 will find "relative success" in 2013, predicting an addressable market from the two platforms totalling 65 million users.
• Volker Hirsch, head of BlackBerry's gaming division, argues that BB 10 isn't just for business – it's an attractive prospect for games developers too.

• Mobile monetisation outfit Flexion releases its reveals its audience has broken the 250 million mark.
• The latest PocketGamer.biz chart of the week shows which free-to-play games demonstrate the most dense monetisation.
• This week's edition of the PocketGamer.biz Charticle examines the latest release from Capcom social gaming subsidiary Beeline – Ghostbusters.
• Blue Ox CEO Christopher York argues that freemium is a bad fit for kids' games, and "just didn't seem right to us."
• AdMob and Google veteran Charles Yim joins monetisation specialist PlayHaven as chief operating officer.

• Kabam reveals 2012 sales of $180 million, 80 percent of which comes from its top grossing mobile games Kingdoms of Camelot, Arcane Legends and The Hobbit.
• Gameloft's financials show 2012 sales up 27 percent year-on-year to $275 million.
• EA's financials show that The Simpsons: Tapped Out generated $23 million last quarter, and EA's mobile/handheld business generated $100 million for the company in all.

• Now that Japanese publisher GungHo Online is worth more than Zynga, is GREE or DeNA about to make another big money acquisition?
• Another week, another gaming Kickstarter campaign. But Byron Atkinson-Jones's crowdfunding drive for Cyberstream Fugitive has a twist – he's offering up the game's source code to backers.
• Fishlabs launches Proelios – an agency dedicated to creating mobile games for brand owners worldwide.

• The PocketGamer.biz Mobile Gaming Mavens debate whether the industry is too reliant on Apple, and what might happen were the company to fall from prominence.
• Microsoft may well be working on an Xbox-branded Surface tablet, reckons PocketGamer.biz editor Keith Andrew, but we should definitely wait for facts rather than publishing unsubstantiated rumour.
• Pocket Gamer editor-in-chief Kristan Reed argues that even though the company made an early move on mobile, THQ "failed dismally to capitalise on the app sector."
• "Screw the social viral design by analytics approach," says Quark Games' Shawn Foust."Mobile deserves a better gaming experience."
• In the latest Best of British column, one-man-studio Alistair Aitcheson examines the role of individuality on the path to indie success.

• Flurry is "trying to make the world of games development more scientific," says Flurry's European MD Richard Firminger.
• Premium pricing is still the best choice for core titles, says Hunters developer Rodeo Games.
• The idea that HTML5 delivers poor performance is "all a lie," according to Mortar Melon developer Mudvark.
• Five top tips for mastering mobile games PR, from Premier PR director of games Simon Byron.
• How Fireproof Games almost made Worms in space instead of The Room.