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
Age Of Mobile
How TiMi Studio and World's Edge are adapting Age of Empires for mobile
PocketGamer.biz speaks to TiMi Studio Group GM Brayden Fan and producer Robin Xin about the strategy game's development
Mena Games Awards
Don't miss the MENA Games Industry Awards 2024 - Nominations close THIS WEEKEND
Be part of the premier awards celebrating the developers, publishers, investors, and legends who are driving MENA's growing games market
Indie Game Devs
Japan launches So-Fu accelerator to support indie game developers
The program will provide indie devs with mentorships, create business connections in the industry and even cover expenses.
Iteration Inspiration
Report: Tencent's top studios developing Palworld-like mobile games
TiMi and Lightspeed studios are reportedly developing mobile games inspired by Palworld
Team Tencent
Tencent "focusing on fewer bigger budget games" as it shifts away from IP strategy
Publishing giant moves Assassin's Creed Jade team to DreamStar as part of new focus on internal products and fewer big franchise bets
Vision 2030
Savvy Games Group unveils strategic vision in new leadership video
CEO Brian Ward says, “Savvy Games Group is on a fast track to be one of the leading players in games and entertainment anywhere in the world."
Ramadan Kareem
Ramadan festivities unfold across mobile with a host of new content and events
We've compiled a selection of the most innovative and captivating in-game events and promotions
Mergers & Acquisitions
Nazara Technologies commits $100 million to expand globally through M&A deals
“We are particularly focused on investing in and acquiring gaming studios globally..." said CEO Nitish Mittersain
Destination Dubai
Discover Dubai's metropolitan marvels at the Dubai GameExpo Summit
Discover Dubai's marvels and plan your ultimate adventure in this forward-thinking metropolis for the upcoming GameExpo Summit
Web3 Gaming
Animoca Brands and KACST to launch Web3 Hub in Saudi Arabia
The partnership and the Web3 Hub will include collaborative research in Web3, blockchain, gaming, AI, and the metaverse
India-themed Gaming
Krafton opens pre-registration for India exclusive Garuda Saga
Eager to appease local regulators, equipped with a bow and arrow, Garuda must vanquish enemies and perfect his skills and powers to succeed
Job News
'Older' executives at Alibaba's Lingxi Games to step aside
Alibaba has prioritised promoting people born after 1985 to its key management positions
Job News
SuperGears Games appoints Frank Sagnier as chairman of its advisory board
Sagnier will support SuperGears in realising its future plans in the racing genre
Mena Market
India on track to become a leading gaming hub as esports players hit 2.5m in 2024
The number of smartphone users in India remains a driving factor of its overall gaming industry growth
Netease Nets A Win
Eggy Party helps drive NetEase games revenue up 9.4% to $11.5 billion in 2023
NetEase generated $11.5 billion from video games in 2023
Eggcelent
NetEase’s Eggy Party reaches 500 million players in under two years
The party game surpassed 40 million daily active players during the Lunar New Year
New Payment Gateway
Carry1st partners with Electronic Arts to expand FC Mobile growth in Africa
The publisher is also offering players limited-time bonuses on FC Points and Silver through the Carry1st Shop until March 17
Mena Market
Honor of Kings makes MENA debut ahead of Esports World Cup
The popular MOBA game will make its way to MENA for the first time since its 2015 launch
Mena Market
GameCentric secures $1.5 million angel investment to fuel growth in MENA
The gaming platform aims to add more features to extend its footprint beyond the GCC & MENA region
Gaming In Africa
Disney taps Maliyo Games to develop Iwájú mobile game
”This is what we are all about: making African-inspired content," said Maliyo Games CEO and founder Hugo Obi
Financials
Sega Sammy's entertainment profits slide by 52.5% Y/Y despite Rovio sales boost
Angry Birds developer had its worst quarter for game sales in three years following Sega acquisition
Quality Assurance
Square Enix commits to improving game quality following failures
A new system is set to be unveiled in spring, with various sources from the conference call indicating its implementation in April.
App Stores
Digital Turbine invests $10 million into Korean app marketplace ONE Store
Companies partner in South Korea, with plans to expand globally in the near future
Gaming Growth
MENA-3 games market grows 7.8% to $1.92 billion in 2023
The total number of gamers reached 68.4 million in 2023, indicating a 2.9% year-over-year rise, with that number expected to reach 79.6 million by 2027
Esports Growth
PUBG Mobile Global Open all set for $500,000 showdown in Brazil
Ticket sales for the event will open on February 16 with one lucky winner taking home a bumper prize pot
Mobile Adaptations
Elden Ring free-to-play mobile game reportedly in the works from Tencent
Rumours come after Tencent Holdings acquired a 16 percent stake of FromSoftware in August 2022 but progress has been slow
A Major Update
Honkai: Star Rail hits 100m downloads and launches V2.0 today
The update will see the highly-anticipated Penacony realm make its debut with Apple Vision Pro compatibility on board too
Wake Up Call
ByteDance CEO warns employees against mediocrity amid AI disruption
CEO Liang Rubo made the statement during a call to ByteDance employees across the globe.
Gaming Trends
China at the forefront of mobile gaming as global market hits $85.76 billion
China's gaming dominance is bolstered by Tencent Games, a revenue powerhouse contributing 100 billion yuan ($14.13 billion)
Tencent cans Nier mobile game after two years in development
Publisher reportedly concerned about monetisation model and small margins from licensing fees
Strategic Boost
8SEC secures €1.5 Million investment from Kwalee
The move will see Kwalee’s CFO Matthew Farrow and VP of mobile publishing John Wright join the 8SEC board
China Regulations
China greenlights 115 games in January, largest batch in 18 months
Tencent, Lilith Games and others have had their titles approved this month