Apple play fair, Animal Crossing stops play and Pokémon goes back to basics | Week in Views

• 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

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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 App Store to split in two following the departure of its vice president

As a long-time Apple watcher, this week’s events make me feel like hell has finally frozen over… Apple is getting with the program… Albeit at a glacial speed and without taking their hands off the steering wheel for a moment.

First came the news that the ability to access the iPhone’s NFC chip will now go global, rather than be purely the preserve of the EU following the EU Commission effectively forcing Apple to make the change.

Likewise their moves – also this week – to encourage the setting of a default iPhone browser other than Safari. In an agreement so magnanimous that I think Apple may have had a bump to the head, EVERY user of Safari will be given a prompt to inform them that they don’t have to use Safari and can switch to another browser any time.

Plus – and this is the insane bit – you’ll soon be able to delete the Camera, Messages and Photos app and EVEN the App Store itself. ‘Insane’ in that Apple allowing such a thing would have been unthinkable as recently as a year ago, and also ‘insane’ in that they didn’t allow you to do it in the first place.

Finally there’s the news (rumour) that Apple are creating a new department – a subsection of their existing App Store team – purely to allow and work with the providers of alternative app stores to ensure they and they’re users get a good experience. A move so radical that the head of worldwide App Store and Apple Arcade, Matt Fischer has quit after 21 years of loyal Apple service.

Unconnected? We don’t think so.

So, lift your chin off the floor, resume blinking and get ready to enter a whole new world of peace, love and harmony later this year with the advent on iOS18. There’s a new Apple in town and it wants to play ball.

Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp to close, but fans can continue playing… For a fee…

Animal Crossing Pocket Camp is set to close, but it’s not all doom and gloom. Fans can keep playing, IF they pay a one-time fee. 

Pocket Camp has been popular since its release, so seeing that it will no longer receive updates came as a surprise to many. What I found interesting about this was the fan feedback. Some were instantly outraged. If they don’t pay the fee, they can say goodbye to the items they’ve earned and the adventures they’ve had so far in Animal Crossing Pocket Camp.

Other fans had the exact opposite take and were extremely thankful for the option to pay to gain access to the game in an offline mode. So, while the game is technically done and won’t receive new content, these players can keep hold of their items and continue to play.

I saw comments from users comparing the situation to other instances where their favourite mobile games closed and they wished that something similar had happened – at least give us the ability to pay a fee to keep hold of the game in its final form. 

It got me thinking about whether we’ll see more instances of this. Sure, some won’t be happy, but others see it as a way to preserve a game they’ve invested time in. As for the developers? Well, it’s one final hoorah from them and a way to gain one last surge in revenue from a game on the out. 

Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket opens pre-registrations as release date revealed

Pokémon’s next mobile project is almost here with Trading Card Game Pocket confirmed for a release this October, bringing the popular card game to a shiny new digital form.

With over 50 billion physical cards sold to date, the potential for a runaway hit here is huge, and offering out free daily packs is a surefire way to bring in players who would otherwise sit on the fence.

Why wouldn’t you download the game for free cards and fresh artwork every day?

There’s no downside for The Pokémon Company either – distributing two packs or 200, it’s of no cost to the creators when those cards are digital, and it might well get more fans on board who end up splashing cash for juuust one more pack…

Pre-registrations are open now too, giving iOS and Android users two months to brace themselves for the latest Pokémon craze. And with the likes of Pikachu, Charizard and Mewtwo already confirmed, who knows – maybe Pocket will be the next Pokémon Go…