To keep you up to date on the biggest news in mobile gaming, we round up the five most-read stories on PocketGamer.biz each week.
Read on and digest…
1. Mobile gaming to exceed 60% of entire games market in 2022
data.ai and IDC's Gaming Spotlight 2022 report has revealed that mobile gaming is ontrack to exceed $136 billion – representing 61 per cent of the entire gaming market’s consumer spending, in no small part due to mobile’s truly international audience and appeal, with a market share 3.2 times as large as console gaming.
2. Activision Blizzard is not releasing Diablo Immortal in Belgium and the Netherlands
Activision Blizzard is restricting the release of its upcoming mobile title Diablo Immortal in Belgium and the Netherlands, in a move speculated to be linked to the countries' stringent rules regarding loot boxes.
An Activision Blizzard communication manager stated that the new title won’t be available as a result of "current operating conditions in those countries", whereas Blizzard’s gamemasters team, a Blizzard Support division, has more directly attributed the countries' loot box laws for this decision.
3. Stranger Things: Puzzle Tales removed from app stores
Next Games’ Stranger Things: Puzzle Tales has been removed from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store ahead of the title’s move to Netflix Games exclusivity in Q4 2022.
While the game is no longer accessible to new players and accounts which previously downloaded it, existing players will be able to access the game for the immediate future, although a number of changes have been made to accommodate for the upcoming exclusivity.
4. TikTok wants to release in-app games this year
Tests are reportedly being conducted in TikTok to allow users to play games within the app, in a push to release games across southeast Asia as soon as within the year.
Conversely, the Chinese version of TikTok, Douyin, has already been allowing users to play games on the platform since 2019.
5. Electronic Arts sought acquisition from Disney, Apple, Amazon, NBC
California-based Electronic Arts has allegedly been discussing acquisition opportunities with Apple, Amazon, Disney, and more.
EA’s discussion progressed the furthest with NBCUniversal. Four sources informed Puck that Comcast CEO Brian Roberts approached Electronic Arts CEO Andrew Wilson with the suggestion of merging the media and gaming companies.
