Netease Anime
NetEase Games enters the world of animation with Anici Anime
The new brand will further the company's interests outside of games
Pokemon Power
Indian Pokémon Unite tournament boast biggest prize pool ever
The esports event takes place between April and June with $75,000 up for grabs
Indian Market
Nazara CEO: Indian market playing catch up with game monetisation
Despite the growth of India’s mobile gaming sector, the country trails in effective monetisation
Tencent Financials
Tencent’s revenue increased 0.5% year-on-year in Q4 2022
The company saw a small rebound following a turbulent year
New Features
NetEase launches first pilot server for Infinite Lagrange
The server will allow players to test incoming features and offer feedback to the development team
Expert Insight
Dmitry Bobrov of ZiMAD: “How to stay successful for over ten years”
The mobile puzzle maker with over 200m users shares the secrets of effective operating for lasting, long-term success
Makreo Report
49% of China’s gamers play on their phones
A new report analyses the world’s biggest mobile market
Building An Empire
Mo' ATT, mo' problems: Why Supercell’s next hit must overcome Apple’s privacy assault
Is the developer’s next blockbuster being stymied by Apple’s App Tracking Transparency rules?
Licences & International Releases
Tencent brings smash hit Merge Mansion to China in raft of new licences
The game is part of a slew of newly granted licences for a number of foreign titles
It’s Showtime
Persona: The Phantom X available for pre-order in China
The game is the first in the franchise released on mobile
New Label
NetEase launches Exptional Global label for international releases
Games such as Dead by Daylight Mobile and Lord of the Rings: War have been shifted to the new label
Chinese Gaming Industry
Chinese games industry publishes draft of rules for self-regulation
The rules aim to address problems in the industry such as copyright disputes and gaming addiction without the need for government interaction
Wemade At Gdc 2023
Wemade – diamond sponsor at GDC 2023 – shares valuable blockchain gaming knowledge and experience
Join in the conversations with company experts on trending industry topics, wins and challenges in open sessions during the event
Big Trouble In Little China
The USA’s new trade restrictions are bad news for Nvidia
The restriction would impact Nvidia’s ability to do business with Huawei
Boost Your Ad Strategy
Boost your ad strategy in 2023 with Appodeal's new insights report
How will inflation affect ad revenues? Let Appodeal reveal all the Mobile eCPM insights to boost your ad strategy in 2023!
A New Fantasy
Square Enix to relocate main offices from Shinjuku to Shibuya
The move to the iconic location is due to be completed after the construction of a new building is complete
Matsuda’s Final Fantasy?
Square Enix board calls for their president to step aside
A proposal suggests that boss Yosuke Matsuda will be replaced by company director Takashi Kiryu
Podcast
Gaming for good | Podcast
Tiltify's Tom Downie joins the PocketGamer.biz podcast to explore the curiosity of giving and the power of play
Olympic Esports
Mobile games included in inaugural Olympic Esports Series
The global competition will culminate in the live finals in Singapore this June
New Studio
NetEase funds Studio Flare in Tokyo
Former Marvelous executive vice president Toshinori Aoki will serve as president and CEO
Quantic Dream Come True
NetEase reportedly paid $106 million for Quantic Dream
Last year’s acquisition highlights the company’s commitment to growth
Unity Financials
Unity celebrates its first profitable quarter on a non-GAAP basis since going public
The company generated $451 million in Q4 2022
Alibaba Financials
Alibaba Group generated $36 million in Q4 2022
The group’s latest financial report showcases a period of modest growth
Financial Report
NetEase revenue rose 4% year-on-year in Q4 2022
The gaming giant’s latest financial report highlights a year of growth
Leaks
Genshin Impact developers MiHoYo on legal hunt for leakers
The hit games' developers have subpoenaed Twitter for the names of users suspected of leaking its secrets
Rumours
Is there a new Nintendo console on the way?
Documents provided to the CMA sparked rumours of potential new handheld or console from the company
Industry Insight
Seven ways mobile games can make the most of direct–to-consumer strategies
Xsolla's Chris Hewish explains how mobile studios can make the most of the direct-to-consumer strategies used by major publishers
Insights
Flexion's Jens Lauritzson on why you should consider alternative app stores
Alternative app store publishing has been a winning model for companies such as Flexion and their partners
Podcast
Unravelling the alchemy of user acquisition | Podcast
Trailmix’s Philippa Layburn reveals the routes to winning user acquisition strategies and creatives
Views Week
Week in Views - What caught our editorial eyes in the last seven days
The Pocketgamer.biz team take their pick of this weeks big news to talk AI in games, games going global and the return of much-loved franchises
Chinese Gaming Industry
China’s games sales fell 10.33% in 2022
China Audiovisual and Digital Publishing Association has revealed the sector’s struggles
Ncsoft Financials
Mobile games generated 75% of NCSoft sales revenue in 2022
The company’s latest financials showcase the strength of its mobile offerings
Global Games Growth
NetEase Games Global Developer Network Benefits Studios and Gamers
Games giant offering freedom, autonomy and resources to games studios who join partner programme
Chinese Restrictions
China moves to increase restrictions on young gamers
The country’s semi-official industry association has called for stronger limits, despite claiming to have fixed the issue of video game addiction
Chinese Mobile Market
China approves 87 new game licenses
Tencent, NetEase, and Alibaba are among the game makers to receive new game approvals
Podcast
The art of a successful game launch | Podcast
Keywords Studios, Helpshift, KantanAI and Backtrace join the PG.biz podcast team to explore what it takes to ensure a successful game launch in 2023
New Studio
NetEase opens new Western studio Spliced Inc
Spliced Inc is the latest in a wave of international studios for the company
Build Better Battlers
Get 55 percent revenue share in the Crazy Trends Challenge by CrazyLabs
Test your battle games, pass the benchmark and win great prizes!
We Want Eu
Levelling up: decoding the future of mobile gaming across Europe
What does 2023 hold for the mobile games market? SHAREit's Arunabh Madhur considers the ongoing evolution of the European audience - and the opportunities opening up
Netease X Blizzard
NetEase to disband Shanghai team following breakup with Blizzard
A skeleton crew will deal with logistical issues in the short term
Beijing’s Golden Ticket
China takes steps to tighten grip on tech by acquiring 'golden shares' in Tencent and Alibaba
By taking shares in the companies, Beijing can help guide future development
A New Partnership
Blizzard reportedly enters final stage of negotiations with its new Chinese partner
The company ended its partnership with NetEase in 2022
Sustainability Gaming
NetEase included in 2022’s Dow Jones sustainability indeces
The company's commitment to sustainability has been recognized by leading ESG ratings agencies
New Acquisition
NetEase acquires Halo Infinite co-developer Skybox Labs
NetEase is continuing its expansion beyond mobile platforms
China Gaming Market
NetEase and Tencent to resurrect discontinued games
Can't make new games? Try some old ones. The Chinese giants are rereleasing a slate of lapsed IPs in the wake of the licensing slowdown
Trouble For Mages?
MAGES chairman and director steps down following $4.7 million loss
Chiyomaru Shikura will take an executive producer role within the company
Are Tencent’s Troubles Over?
Tencent predicted to bounce back in 2023
2022 was a turbulent year for the tech giant, but analysts forecast that Tencent will rebound
Game Closure
Bravely Default: Brilliant Lights to shut down in February
The Square Enix spin-off launched in January 2022
2022 Highlights
BIG Stories of 2022 - The rise and fall of China’s mobile market
The world’s biggest mobile-first market saw a tumultuous year
Zombie Defence Success
How to turn a hypercasual game concept into an IAP-driven Hybridcasual
The latest article in Homa's Hybridcasual Insight series explores how to evolve a hypercasual game
into a hybridcasual using Zombie Defense as a case study