Profitable Pokemon
DeNA’s games business profits up 8,126.8% after Pokémon TCG Pocket’s success
Nine months into its fiscal year, DeNA attributed profits surge in part to Pocket’s "strong performance"
Leadership Change
Koei Tecmo appoints Hisashi Koinuma as new CEO
He will replace co-founder Yoichi Erikawa as president and CEO effective from April 2025
Expansions
Mobile ad platform Adjoe opens new offices in Tokyo and Singapore
The ads platform has tapped industry experts to lead its Asia-Pacific expansion
Shifting Up
Shift Up revenue up 30% to $151m in 2024 despite decrease in Goddess of Victory: Nikke sales
The South Korean developer acknowledged "fierce" competition in the industry but asserted Goddess of Victory: Nikke’s "possibility of long-term success"
Financials
Sega’s net sales slide down 8% year-over-year as Football Manager 25 skips release
Entertainment division saw 8% growth during the past nine months
Ai In Games
KGeN and Mira Network partner to build AI agents in games
KGeN will also use Mira's APIs, like Generate, Verify, and Verified Generate to create gaming AI tools
Esports In Mena
Olympic Esports Games in Saudi Arabia delayed to 2027
The IOC did not provide a reason for the delay, but confirmed that qualification will begin this year
Financials
Mobile sales slump hits Square Enix profits
MMOs have proven Square Enix’s only growing games segment nine months into the current fiscal year
Dubai What To Expect
What to expect at Dubai GameExpo Summit 2025 the premier hub for MENA game industry investment
Discover exclusive insights, unmatched networking, and investment opportunities in the fastest-growing games market
Regulations
Apple shares compliance steps following Vietnam's new app store game licensing rules
The iPhone maker advises developers to first obtain a license from Vietnamese authorities
New Approvals
China approves 136 new games including Tencent’s upcoming Honour of Kings: World
The latest game approvals include 123 domestic titles and 13 foreign games
Gone In A Snap
US TikTok ban takes Marvel Snap and Mobile Legends offline
Mobile games by ByteDance-owned companies go dark following Supreme Court's decision to reject company's appeal against ban
Tiktok Ban
TikTok faces imminent US ban as Supreme Court rejects appeal
Judges conclude a ban does not violate freedom of speech
Acqusitions
Winking Studios to acquire game art studio Mineloader Digital for $27 million
An upfront payment of $24.5m will be made with the remaining balance paid after five years
Switch 2 Confirmed
Nintendo Switch 2 unveiled
Nintendo’s successor to the Switch has finally been revealed
New Partnerships
Fusebox snags rights for Bigg Boss and Big Brother interactive fiction games
The two titles are set to launch in 2025
Supercharged Sequel
Habby’s Archero 2 makes $6.6m in first week from player spending
The US has quickly established itself as a key market for Archero 2, spending $1.9 million
Week In Views
China-US political tensions, and Pokémon TCG Pocket surpasses $400m | Week in Views
The Pocketgamer.biz team pick their highlights from the headlines this week and deliver the stories behind the stories
Finance And Fashion
Infinity Nikki styles up $16 million in launch month on mobile
The fifth entry in the Nikki series has far exceeded its predecessors in launch month revenue
Gotta Catch 'em All
Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket smashes $400 million in 10 weeks
Player spending was lower on average in Pocket’s second month, but also saw a new record high
In The Zone
Zenless Zone Zero achieves record revenue during Version 1.4 as it surpasses $250m on mobile
The urban RPG hit a peak of $8.6 million in daily player spending on December 18th, 2024
Tencent Trouble
Tencent shares fall as US designates publisher a Chinese military company
134 companies were named in this year's listing
Jobs Roundup
January's Mobile Movers and Shakers: Executive exits at Netflix, Kwalee and Mistplay, NCSoft appoints new senior VP, and more
Our regular roundup of the mobile games industry's movers and shakers
Dynasty Discontinued
Dynasty Warriors M to end service 15 months after its launch
Koei Tecmo and Nexon’s hack-and-slash title has generated over $10 million since October 2023
Deal Tracker
Show Me The Money: Aonic receives €152m, Vgames lands $142m, and Stillfront secures $227m in December
Our deal tracker highlights the key acquisitions, investments, and partnerships from the last month
M&a
DoubleU acquires Turkish studio Paxie Games for up to $67m
Social Casino firm picks up 60% stake for $27m
Best Of 2024
Isa Muhammad's top stories of 2024: Nazara's $100m M&A push, Gamathon 24, MENA's gaming boom, and China's license rebound
PocketGamer.biz MENA reporter Isa Muhammad highlights some of the top stories of 2024
Festive Surprises
PG Connects Advent Calendar: A Daily Festive Treat
Celebrate the festive season with a special treat each day from Pocket Gamer Connects. Click through to find today's surprise…
New Offerings
Sega mulls games subscription service
“I want to make Sega really shiny again,” says Sega president Shuji Utsumi
M&a
Scopely acquires Perfect World's Chengfeng Studio in $34.5m deal
Monopoly Go developer expands into China
New Game Launch
Once Human Mobile set to launch in April 2025
Title is set to go cross-platform with a console release also in the works
Travel To London
Five reasons to travel to Pocket Gamer Connects London 2025
The global games industry gathers once again in London and here’s why you shouldn’t miss out.
Government Pressure
Tencent directors resign from Epic Games board over US Justice Department concerns
No company or individual has admitted liability in the investigation
M&a
Nazara subsidiary Nodwin acquires 93% stake in AFK gaming for $900,000
The acquisition makes AFK Gaming a fully-owned subsidiary of Nodwin Gaming
Top Charts
The top grossing mobile games of 2024
Analysis of the highest revenue-generating mobile titles of the year
Investment News
Sony becomes Kadokawa's largest Shareholder with $318m investment
Future partnerships will focus on joint investments, discovering new creators, and promoting media mixes of their IP
Legal Battle
Did the European court just give cheats a thumbs-up?
Futura’s head of digital practice Alina Davletshina shares on the impact of Sony’s case against Datel
Best Of The Best
Asian developers dominate as 2024's top 10 new mobile games surpass $3 billion
Dungeon & Fighter: Mobile, Love and Deepspace, Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket and others led the way for new games’ success this year
Podcast | Episode 40
Games industry trends 2024 review | Week in Mobile Games podcast
The PocketGamer.biz podcast team give you the state of play every week. Here's where to get it and and what's inside this week's episode 40...
Afk Acceleration
The nuance of a successful sequel: Balancing familiarity and refreshing experiences in AFK Journey
We spoke with AFK Journey executive producer Jiangyuan about design philosophy, player feedback and more
Infold Income
Infinity Nikki is series’ strongest launch with $4m in four days on mobile
It has been outperformed by Infold Games’ other 2024 title, Love and Deepspace
New Partnerships
Xsolla partners with StarNest to launch game development academy in Azerbaijan
Xsolla is also considering establishing its regional headquarters in Baku
Podcast | Episode 39
Mobile's hot new releases and the loot box investigation unpacked | Week in Mobile Games podcast
The PocketGamer.biz podcast team give you the state of play every week. Here's where to get it and and what's inside this week's episode 39...
Nikki Now
Infinity Nikki launches today as series’ first cross-platform game
Infold Games’ franchise has grown from dress-up origins to "cosy" open-world adventure
Indefinite Delay
Nintendo delays Alarmo clock public sales in Japan
Non-Nintendo Switch Online subscribers will have to wait before purchasing the alarm clock
Pokemon Power
Pokémon TCG Pocket matches 91% of Pokémon Go’s launch month revenue through the power of playground rumours
Secret missions, 90s nostalgia and online speculation set TCG Pocket apart from the competition
Jobs In Games
Jobs in Games: Usiku Games' Rolex Oduor on how to get a career as a sound designer
In this series, we highlight the talented team members working in the games industry and how they got their break
New Partnerships
Nazara and Lysto pen Letter of Intent to launch The Growth Protocol
New initiative designed for digital marketing and growth applications on the blockchain
Resilient Growth
Apple's App Store ecosystem in China hits $519 billion in developer sales
Developers kept over 95% of the revenue without paying commissions
Investment News
Nazara continues M&A push with Funky Monkeys and LearnTube investments
The firm has also pumped $17.74m into subsidiaries to boost ownership