This week in gaming news: March 9, 2012

GDC 2012 has come and gone. We’re reminded, once again, of what a weird and wonderful industry we work in. The App Store now boasts over 25 billion served, Google gave the Android Market a name change, people buzzed about Valve making a game console, and Valve said “No we’re not.” Finally, if you return to World of Warcraft, Blizzard will give you a flying animal. Think about it!

MONDAY

• The App Store reached 25 billion app downloads, and the ‘gator from Where’s My Water? is all smiles about it.

• iSwifter will be streaming PC games to mobile devices.

• EA pulls Battlefield 3: Aftershock from the App Store for good, goes to stand in corner to think about what it’s done.

• Dungeon Overlord is getting an expansion and a mobile companion app.

• iOS excels at delivering an HTML 5 gaming experience, says report. World nods in agreement.

• Rumor: Valve looking to enter the hardware game with the “Steam Box.”

TUESDAY

• The Zynga.com public beta is now live.

• Temple Run is coming to Android. Run like hell.

• Burstly acquires TestFlight and launches TestFlight Live.

• Gamble away your kids’ lunch money: Big Fish Games acquires Self Aware Games, the makers of Card Ace: Casino.

• Goodbye Android Marketplace, hello Google Play.

• The IMGA winners are announced. Didja win?

• 6waves Lolapps is looking to invest in mobile games development with a $100,000 marketing offer for its partners.

• Duh, stay outta Riverdale—if you can. An Archie game is in development for multiple platforms.

WEDNESDAY

• Google+ gets a 30-day exclusive with Zombinis

• Angry Birds tops app download lists. Over, over, and over.

• iPad 3 roundup! Here’s everything you need to know.

• PC gaming is on the rise.

• Google is unifying all its gaming platforms.

• Peter Molyneux says goodbye to Lionhead Studios, heads to new lands in game development.

• Jetpack Joyride gets an update.

THURSDAY

• Unreal Engine coming to Flash.

• France gains a little more game development muscle with Le Game.

• Psst, kid. Get your buddy back into World of Warcraft and Blizzard will give you this really cool gryphon.

• Zynga announces three new game platform partners—including Konami.

FRIDAY

• As GDC comes to a close, we learn our winners for the Independent Games Festival (IGF).

• Gabe Newell is filthy rich.

• Valve is not making a game console after all. For now.

• Tim Sweeney’s advice to indies: Innovate, innovate, innovate.

• The Sims Social owed most of its early traffic to Facebook’s now-defunct games ticker.

• Are Android game and app developers being strong-armed into unifying payments via the “Google Wallet?”