Sleepy Smartwatch
Pokémon Sleep sleepwalks to $120 million in time for smartwatch update
Apple Watch, Galaxy Watch, Fitbit and Google Pixel Watch are now compatible with the app
Strict Laws
Australia sets new rules for games with loot boxes and gambling-like content
Games with interactive simulated gambling will automatically receive an R18+ rating
Lawsuit Triumph
The Pokémon Company wins $15 million in lawsuit over copyright infringement
Pocket Monster Reissue had infringed company's copyright by using Ash Ketchum and Pikachu in the game
Investment News
Nazara invests $117 million PokerBaazi parent Moonshine
India games firm picks up 47.7% stake in the company
Big-form Investment
PUBG developer Krafton invests $89.5m in audio and short-form video streaming firm Spoon Labs
Deal represents publisher's largest investment in a non-gaming company
India Games Industry
Nazara invests $2.2 million in gaming community platform STAN
Nazara secured the deal through its subsidiary Nazara Dubai FZ
Game Regulations
Korea clears bill to regulate overseas gaming firms
The bill requires foreign game companies to appoint a domestic agent
Release Reveal
Tencent’s upcoming RPG Honor of Kings: World set for 2025 release date
Spin-off set to launch across multiple platforms
Stepping Up
Disney Step brings the House of Mouse into location-based AR gaming
New Drecom-developed title looks set for Japan-only release
Connection Hazard
Resident Evil mobile ports now require internet connection to play
Developer Capcom claimed requirement was due to "changes to the startup process"
Final Call
Square Enix to shut down Final Fantasy: Brave Exvius after $900m in revenue
“It would be difficult to continue maintaining the app experience”
Financials
New games and apps business growth drives Lords Mobile dev IGG to $42m profit in H1 2024
Strategy games Doomsday: Last Survivors and Viking Rise push company to growth
Enter Mobile
Bullet hell roguelike Enter the Gungeon heads to mobile in China
X.D. Network set to publish title in the country, over eight years after it was first released
New Partnerships
Nodwin Gaming pens multi-year partnership with Insider.in for events in India
Insider.in will become Nodwin Gaming's official ticketing partner in India for all key IPs across games
World Entrepreneurs Day
India’s video games and esports sector powers growth with over 117,000 startups
This growth has made esports and gaming a viable career for both gamers and entrepreneurs
India Games Industry
Key Indian execs endorse PM Modi's Independence Day games business backing
Modi is also calling for the country to transition from being a games industry consumer to becoming a leading producer
Big Moves
Nazara’s $100m M&A war chest takes India’s largest games company global
CEO Nitish Mittersain on why Nazara could invest even more in deals and his ambitions of growing the company to a $10 billion valuation
Diverse Senior Team
Capcom wants 15% of its managers be women
"Looking ahead, we believe we will be able to see more female directors by broadening our scope and increasing the ratio of female managers"
New Game Approved
HoYoverse’s next game Astaweave Haven among 105 Chinese approvals this July
This month’s domestic approvals in the country are at their highest since March
Investmen Report
Early-stage VC games funding hits 12-month high but growth and later stage investments still "very depressed"
Konvoy Ventures report notes "very depressed" VC investment landscape for growth and late-stage games companies
China Expansion
Xsolla opens new Beijing office
Company says move signifies “renewed commitment” to the region
Executive Departures
Perfect World CEO and co-CEO resign after mass layoffs
Senior VP Gu Liming takes reins at Chinese developer
Ongoing Rift
Tencent's mobile games vanish from Huawei app store rankings
The move left rival NetEase's titles Eggy Party and Fantasy Westward Journey in the top positions
Financial Outlook
Goddess of Victory: Nikke propels developer Shift Up to $2.5 billion valuation
The Seoul-based company has just issued and sold nearly 7.3 million shares at 60,000 won each
Indie View
"The joy of seeing people play your games and appreciate your work makes it all worth it": Lucid Labs discuss indie development
Lucid Labs came 2nd at the Very Big Indie Pitch in Dubai - we discuss their road to the Big Indie Pitch
Podcast | Episode 19
Is Squad Busters a success or failure? | 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 19...
Apple Rebound
Apple's iPhone shipments in China surge nearly 40% in May, fuelled by aggressive price cuts
The smartphone giant is likely the driving force behind increase in foreign-brand shipments in China
Acquisition Ahead
CyberAgent to acquire NitroPlus in $104 million deal
Digital advertising firm and games publisher will support new subsidiary's efforts for global IP expansion
Job Losses
Reports: One Punch Man: World developer Perfect World lays off as many as 1,000 staff
The Chinese media firm is is also said to have halted worked on One Punch Man: World and Perfect New World
China Regulations
China approves 104 new games including titles from Tencent and Alibaba
Industry giants including miHoYo and SenseTime have also established the Shanghai Yuanchuang Future Private Equity Fund
China Cha-ching
Dungeon & Fighter Mobile’s first month of iOS revenue was twice that of Honor of Kings
Nexon and Tencent's RPG generated $270 million on iOS in its first month, becoming China’s most-downloaded game
Interview
Five years of My.Games: From new releases to finding success in the Asian market
We caught up with Elena Grigorian who reflects My.Games’ first half of the year and shares on upcoming plans after celebrating the company's five year anniversary
Resilient Growth
Asia and MENA to reach 2 billion gamers by 2028 as revenue soars past $85 billion in 2023
India is the fastest-growing market and is expected to add 277 million gamers by 2028
Gaming In Africa
Xbox Game Camp Africa's second edition will take place in July
Registration for the latest event closes on Monday, July 15th 2024
Top Charts
May 2024 mobile game charts: Brawl Stars peaks, Supercell rises, and Dungeon & Fighter Mobile’s big China launch
Our monthly look at the global mobile game rankings across the App Store and Google Play
Fighting Start
Dungeon & Fighter Mobile picks up $66 million on China's App Store in first week
Nexon president and CEO Junghun Lee said title has potential to have "profoundly positive impact" on company's revenue and profit
Sega Strategy
Rovio, ratings, global expansion: Sega CEO Haruki Satomi reveals plans for FY2024
Sega reveals plans to leverage Rovio’s European success, bolster employee motivation, and grow its IP
M&a
ByteDance sells Red Alert Online dev C4 Games for $35.8 million
Film and entertainment firm says Red Alert can generate "considerable revenue" in the future
Launch Day
Supercell's Hay Day returns to China's App Store after four year absence
Farming simulator launched on May 15th, published by Tencent
Going Global
Honor of Kings set for June 20th global launch after $15 billion+ revenue in China
Tencent takes another stab at taking its blockbuster MOBA to global markets
Financials
Nexon banks on $22bn IP Dungeon & Fighter being a mobile hit in China as Q1 revenue declines
Franchise has generated more than $22 billion to date, as publisher eyes as much as a 90% boost to China earnings with mobile release
Financials
Netmarble cuts losses but revenue falls in Q1 after lack of new game releases
Publisher set to launch Raven 2 in May and four more titles during the second half of 2024
Jobs News
PlayStation names new CEOs Hermen Hulst and Hideaki Nishino
The duo replace Jim Ryan, who exited the company after 30 years
Layoffs
Square Enix braces for layoffs in US and Europe
IT, publishing and Square Enix Collective teams set to be hit by redundancies
Tiktok Ban
US faces prospect of TikTok ban as House of Representatives passes bill
State due to vote on bill
Game Regulations
India's PM Modi says gaming industry doesn't need regulation
“There is no need for regulations. It [games industry] should remain free, it is only then that it will bloom.”
Nintendo Drops Out
Nintendo are a no show for Gamescom 2024
"Players will have opportunities to try out Nintendo Switch games at other events throughout the year"
Mobile Games Adaptation
MiHoYo green lights Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail movies with government backing
The projects aim to elevate Shanghai into a premier “city of film'' within three years, positioning it as a key destination for film production
Mobile Soft Launch
Disney Realm Breakers now available in soft launch for select regions
Players will embark on a heroic journey where they'll join forces with beloved characters from Disney and Pixar to save the world of Noi
Gdc Interview
New Japanese studio Kreation Verse talks TAT Rumble, its first mobile game
Interview: Industry veterans Tomoya Ogawa, Karin and Tatsuro Iwamoto reveal NFT card battler