Game analytics company DeltaDNA has published its ad survey results for 2018, sharing data taken from a survey of 336 developers of free-to-play mobile games over a 12 month period.

The findings could be useful for mobile developers who might want some insight into how they’d like to monetize their game in the future. 

The survey revealed that even though the majority of casual and hardcore games are still earning half or more of their revenue from in-app purchases, ad revenue is finally becoming viable.

A majority of casual game developers make less than 40 percent of their revenue from ads, but 16 percent said they earned 80 percent or more from the same source.

In comparison, 70 percent of hardcore game developers said their games made more than 20 percent of revenue from ads – up from only 50 percent reporting the same amount last year.

• Developers are more confident about integrating ads, with 21 percent showing five or more ads per session.
• The number of developers who classify in-game ads as an ‘important monetization opportunity’ has grown from 39 percent in 2016 to 59 percent in 2018, indicating a cultural shift within the industry.

Hello, I am Aurélien Regard, one half of the team behind Away: Journey to the Unexpected, releasing on Xbox One February 8, 2019. I’d like to quickly go through the creative process behind Away, from 2016 to how it is today.

One thing I love about the first-person shooter (FPS) genre is the power of putting yourself in someone else’s shoes. However, between over-the-top action shooters and narrative walking sims, I felt like the genre was missing the concept of action-adventures.

So, came the idea behind Away: Journey to the Unexpected! At least the foundation of its gameplay. Here’s a look at some early prototype screenshots…

I also took some inspirations on the way, in terms of artistic direction. For technical reasons I had to make easy-to-produce characters to fit in the 3D environment, and the idea came from the old-school Doom: making “cardboard cutout” characters constantly looking towards you.

I had the key concepts locked in now: an action-adventure FPS with 2D characters in a 3D environment!

Then I needed to define the story and core gameplay mechanics. Taking on the same idea of FPS games being generally violent or very mature in their narrative, I took the opposite direction: let’s make a fun game about a kid living a fun adventure with friends! In regards to the art style, I dug into my childhood memories and tried to capture the feeling of the anime style that was all over the 90s TV in France.

And there you go, the concept behind Away was set around that core idea: creating a new type of FPS adventure, with a lighthearted and fun story, and a nostalgic 90s anime style to it. I hope you enjoy this little post!

Away: Journey to the Unexpected will release February 8, 2019 on Xbox One via the Microsoft Store. For more information on this title and many others, keep it tuned here to Xbox Wire for all the latest Xbox gaming news and features.

DUSK is Now Available on Steam and is 16% off!*

Battle through an onslaught of mystical backwater cultists, possessed militants & even darker forces as you attempt to discover just what lurks beneath the Earth in this retro FPS inspired by the ’90s legends.

*Offer ends December 17 at 10AM Pacific Time

Activities

• Fixed an issue where the final boss encounter of Scourge of the Past would not end properly.
• Fixed animation error on Awoken Corsairs so that they no longer pretend to hold invisible rifles.
• Fixed a rare bug in Scourge of the Past where players would not receive a Phase Radiance buff when meleeing a terminal.
• Fixed an error on Brakion’s weapon so that he can once again shoot at Guardians.
• Players will now spawn insides the arena with the downed ship rather than reusing the previous phase’s spawn points that placed them behind the spawned encounter barrier.

Crucible

• Fixed an issue where Heavy Ammo was not spawning appropriately on Convergence

Items & Economy

• Players under 600 Power may now receive higher-powered rewards when completing Director Challenges.
• Fixed an issue where weapon frames would be removed from inventory in error when completing alternate forges.
• Fixed an issue where players were not rewarded properly when completing a forge activity that was joined in progress.
• Players may now access forge bounties before completing a forge activity.
• Fixing an issue where players were not properly granted the Scourge of the Past Emblem or Triumph for completing the activity within the first 24 hours.
• Fixed an issue where submachine guns awarded by research weapon frames were not dropping with the appropriate perks.
• Completing and claiming the Dreaming City Triumph “Ascendant Paragon” will always properly grant the Secret Victories Emblem and its Transcendent variant. Players who already claimed this record will have the variant automatically unlocked on reaching orbit.
• Removed Season 4 shader Crucible Solemnity as a requirement for the “Forged in Fire” Collections Badge.
• Fixed an issue where players weren’t properly being granted Harbinger’s Echo if they destroyed eggs across multiple characters. For affected players, the Sparrow will appear in inventory and be unlocked in Collections upon reaching orbit.
• Removed Annual Pass requirement for claiming the “Curator of the Black Armory” Triumph.

Misc

• Fixed an issue where the “Envoy While it Lasts” bounty did not display properly for players using Spanish, Russian, or French languages.
• Fixed an issue where Season of the Forge shaders were not dismantling quickly.

Sandbox

• Pressing reload while charging a fusion rifle will initiate a reload. Previously, pressing reload while charging a fusion rifle did nothing.
• Fixed an issue where SUROS Machine Guns (Avalanche) had more recoil than intended.

Disruption/Insults/Disrespect

Disruption/Insults/Disrespect

Harassment/Personal Attacks/Privacy Violation

Gory Violence/Explicit Sexuality

Illegal Activity

Hacking/Cheating

Spoilers/Stolen Content

Soliciting/Phishing/Impersonation

Updates to the Lenovo ThinkPad L390 and L390 Yoga are designed to keep users and IT departments happy through proven reliability and comprehensive ThinkShield device security—without sacrificing performance. The ThinkPad portfolio has always offered a broad range of choices to give customers the specific device they need. The updated ThinkPad L390 and L390 Yoga are no different.

Key features include:

• The latest 8th Gen Intel® Core™ processors.
• 13.3-inch FHD displays with Touch option and garaged Active Pen on L390 Yoga.
• ThinkShield security features including dTPM 2.0, touch fingerprint reader, and IR camera on L390 Yoga.
• World-facing camera on L390 Yoga enabling field workers or students take photos on the go.
• Complete Lenovo Services portfolio including premier support, deployment services, transition assistance, and asset protection.
• Windows 10 Home or Windows 10 Pro operating system.

Workplace transformation initiatives are in full swing, responding to the desires of energized and dynamic users. New workspaces are all about collaboration areas and greater user mobility to promote interaction and productivity. Such spaces require technology that enables more flexibility and creativity.

Positioned with price-sensitive business customers and professional consumers in mind, the L series maintains the ThinkPad reputation for ruggedness and durability. Sitting below the ThinkPad X1 premium notebooks and the mainstream corporate workhorse T and X series, the updated L390 and L390 provide users with mainstream performance and value. These highly portable notebooks with MilSpec build quality incorporate business features and solutions that address the challenges faced by users and IT departments.

Availability and pricing:

ThinkPad L390 and L390 Yoga will be available to order in black or silver this month.

L390 will start from $659 and L390 Yoga from $889.

Visit Lenovo to learn more.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate has sold three million copies in the US after just eleven days on sale, breaking multiple records in the process.

According to Nintendo’s internal sales data, the game has become both the fastest-selling Nintendo Switch game of all time in the region, and also the fastest-selling game in the Super Smash Bros. series. We recently reported on the fact that the very same milestone was also hit in the UK market, with early sales in Japan seeing similarly impressive levels of success, too. These statistics are expected to cement the fact that Nintendo is currently the top-selling US software publisher of 2018.

In celebration of the news, Nintendo has also shared some additional statistics. Bear in mind that the following data comes from Nintendo of America and is specific to the US only:

– Nintendo hardware unit and dollar sales for 2018 are at their highest annual totals since 2011.

– Nintendo eShop sales have grown 105 percent over 2017.

– Evergreen Nintendo Switch games have set new milestones, with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe selling over 4 million and 5 million units, respectively. Super Mario Odyssey has sold over 4.7 million units.

– In addition to the fast-selling Super Smash Bros. Ultimate game, other recently released games that continue to make a splash include Pokémon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! and Pokémon: Let’s Go, Eevee!, which together total 2 million units, and Super Mario Party at 1.4 million.

Are you one of the many who have already picked up a copy of the game? Are you surprised by any of the statistics shared above? Tell us below in the comments.

Today, we are happy to share that the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences (AIAS) has announced its 23^rd Hall of Fame recipient: Bonnie Ross, Microsoft Corporate Vice President and Head of 343 Industries. Ross has been integral in the vision and expansion of the Halo franchise that has continued to excite generations of fans, generating nearly $6 billion in worldwide sales to date and has transcended video games to grow into a global entertainment phenomenon. Ross is also a key voice in promoting STEM and diversity efforts across the gaming industry amongst women, under-represented minorities and children.

“It is thanks to Bonnie’s vision and drive for combining art and technology that has allowed the Halo universe to flourish within so many different mediums and platforms,” said Meggan Scavio, President, Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. “That along with her deep passion to expand diversity in gaming and encourage STEM education amongst women as well as all young people is truly inspirational. Her positive legacy and leadership have helped advance interactive entertainment and will impact game makers and aspiring game makers for generations to come.”

The 2019 Hall of Fame Award will be presented to Ross during the 22^nd Annual D.I.C.E. Awards ceremony on Wednesday, February 13, 2019, at the Aria Convention Center in Las Vegas by her long-time colleague and friend, Phil Spencer, Executive Vice President and Head of Gaming at Microsoft.

“It’s been a privilege to work alongside Bonnie for more than two decades, and I have continually been impressed not only by her passion for merging art and storytelling, but also her equal passion for creating teams and technical breakthroughs; solid foundations that will set the direction of Halo and Xbox for years to come,” said Spencer. “Bonnie’s tenure at Microsoft is more than just a model for aspiring game makers, it’s a proof of concept that bringing together talented and diverse voices around a shared, passionate vision, can unleash worlds, wonders, and legends that define entertainment for generations.”

Ross’ interest in technology and gaming began at an early age, where her pursuit of advanced math and science classes led to a degree in Technical Communication and a concentration in Physics and Computer Science. Following college, she landed an internship at IBM before beginning her profession at Microsoft, first working on operating systems.

Ross began her career in the games industry in 1994, when Microsoft created a PC sports gaming division, leading to her first game release of NBA Full Court Press for Windows. She progressed her career in gaming in a variety of roles, including producer, lead producer, executive producer, and general manager overseeing production for all titles within the Microsoft Game Studios portfolio. In these roles, Ross worked with several leading development studios in the co-development or publishing of many well-known titles, including Counter-Strike (Xbox), Dungeon Siege, Fuzion Frenzy, Gears of War, Jade Empire, Mass Effect, NBA: Inside Drive, Pandora’s Box, Psychonauts, and Zoo Tycoon.

In 2007, when Halo creators Bungie parted ways with Microsoft as a first-party developer, Ross founded 343 Industries, an entertainment studio committed to fostering the growth and expansion of the Halo franchise, as well as driving innovation across Microsoft platforms. That commitment to building diverse stories and characters has helped 343 Industries create immersive, blockbuster sci-fi entertainment experiences within the Halo universe. At Microsoft Game Studios and 343 Industries, she has worked with or directly overseen many well-loved Halo games: Halo 3: ODST, Halo: Reach, Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, Halo: Spartan Assault, Halo: Spartan Strike, Halo 4, Halo: The Master Chief Collection, Halo 5: Guardians, Halo Wars 2, Halo: Fireteam Raven, and the upcoming Halo Infinite.

Ross is passionate about bringing together art and technology to transform how people experience entertainment. Over the last nine years, she pushed to broaden franchise reach and define Halo as a leader in transmedia across the entire entertainment industry, including the Halo series of video games, the upcoming Halo television series by SHOWTIME, and live-action series, such as Halo: Forward Unto Dawn and Halo: Nightfall. In addition, 12 of 17 Halo novels have been named to the New York Times Best Sellers list and Halo consumer products have generated over $1.5 billion in consumer spend.

Ross is also deeply involved in promoting efforts to drive diversity across the games industry and generating interest amongst women, minorities, and children in the pursuit of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) careers. In 1997, she co-founded the Microsoft Women in Gaming community as a way for women in the industry to network and support each other. Beginning as a small cocktail event with roughly 20 attendees, it has since then grown to become an annual lunch at the Game Developers Conference (GDC) that counts more than 1,500 in attendance.

Ross was named one of Fortune’s most powerful women in gaming and is a key part of The Ad Council’s “She Can STEM” campaign.

The AIAS Hall of Fame honor is bestowed on game creators who have been instrumental in the development of highly influential games and moving a particular genre forward. These individuals demonstrate the highest level of creativity and innovation, resulting in significant product influence on a scale that expands the scope of the industry. Past AIAS Hall of Fame recipients include: Hideo Kojima (2016), Leslie Benzies (2014), Dan and Sam Houser (2014), and Todd Howard (2017),