Difficulty Balance
Difficulty curves: Find the right balance and boost retention and revenue
Product design director Guy Agiv discusses maximising your games monetisation and retaining players via the perfect difficulty curve
Dmarmageddon Asteroid Incoming
DMArmageddon? It doesn’t have to be the end of the world
The EU Digital Markets Act will significantly impact the games market. Usercentrics reveals why game creators will have to get serious about user consent
Podcast
NAK3D’s Kelly Vero on merging fashion and gaming to revolutionise commerce | Podcast
The PocketGamer.biz podcast team and guests give you the state of play every week. Here's where to get it and what's inside this week's episode…
African Expansion
“Africa will be one of the top three regions for the global games market over the next ten years”
Usiku Games game producer Denis Odera on developing mobile games in Africa and what makes the region prime for expansion
Women In Games
Niantic’s Karen Tong shares her experience marketing the world’s biggest AR game, Pokémon GO
As part of its ongoing Women In Games series, Liftoff speaks to Karen Tong, Senior Director of Product Marketing at Niantic about her achievements, challenges and aspirations.
Podcast
Mega Studio’s Adam Jaffe on the impressive benefits of incentivised traffic | Podcast
The PocketGamer.biz podcast team and guests give you the state of play every week. Here's where to get it and what's inside this week's episode…
Knock Knock
Apple to the EU: Catch me if you can
As Apple goes on the run, it challenges games publishers to gamble on their new, confusing terms and install fees
Ip Investigation
The Pokémon Company will "investigate" IP infringement after questions raised around Palworld
Palworld's monster designs are being compared with Pokémon's as questions around IP and copyright swirl
Pgc London
Speaker Spotlight: Solid Bash's Matthew Zoern on embracing innovation in game development
'Why limit a game's experience to just one platform? The future is about extending the gameplay experience across devices.'
Aiming High
Gamelight sets sights on $1 billion annual revenue in 2024
We spoke to co-founder Günay Aliyeva to learn how the company reached the billion-dollar revenue mark in a year and to find out future plans
Stars In Their Eyes
How Playdemic's founders are following up their $1 billion Golf Clash success with new studio ForthStar
CEO Paul Gouge tells PocketGamer.biz about the lessons learned from Playdemic and why ForthStar is embracing remote working and four day work weeks
Q&a
Speaker Spotlight: Verge Group's Stafaniya Radzivonik talks improving the ad experience for players
"When it comes to gaming apps, the most user-engaging formats are interstitial and rewarded video, particularly if they are playable"
Q&a
Speaker Spotlight: Replai's Joao Costa to discuss the use of AI in video creatives
Costa set to speak about how video AI is already transforming strategies of the biggest mobile games companies in the world
Q&a
Speaker Spotlight: Layer AI's Burcu Ozcengiz on supporting art teams' workflow with AI
"I'm excited to share my perspective on how it’s possible to use AI to produce game art faster while staying human"
Q&a
Speaker Spotlight: AppsFlyer's Adam Smart on ad creatives and market saturation
"We'll navigate the added complexity of fostering cross-departmental cooperation to enhance and evolve creative strategies"
The Sky's The Limit
Thatgamecompany on what comes next for Sky: Children of the Light in 2024
Art Director, Cecil Kim shares on joining thatgamecompany and the journey from mobile to cross-platform for Sky: Children of the Light
Growing Globally
Network Effect & Organic Growth - Effective Scaling In The Post-IDFA World
Social First's President and Founder Mikko Kähärä tells us how the studio has found a way to effectively scale its games - cost-effectively - in a post-IDFA world
Q&a
Speaker Spotlight: Uplifted's Itai Raveh discusses why UGC can be a game-changer for engaging players
"Tailoring the creative aspect to resonate with the target audience is crucial in the games sector"
Q&a
Speaker Spotlight: TikTok's Noam Zada on underestimating the transformative power of cultural resonance
"Overlooking the integration of gaming into the cultural conversation can hinder a game's potential reach"
Big Indie Pitch Stories
Big Indie Interviews: Quang Nguyen discusses being passionate and finding new in the old
Interview! We chat with the long-time Big Indie Pitch participant and judge to discuss experimentation and helping the next generation
Podcast
Gamelight’s Günay Aliyeva on the AI algorithm that revolutionises UA | Podcast
The PocketGamer.biz podcast team and guests give you the state of play every week. Here's where to get it and what's inside this week's episode…
Q&a
Speaker Spotlight: FastSpring's Tony Markov on how alternative distribution platforms help power better profits
"By establishing an independent sales channel, developers can avoid the large fees, directly enhancing profitability"
Q&a
Speaker Spotlight: Monstercat's Gavin Johnson
Johnson has spearheaded successful collaborations with Fortnite, Rocket League, Beat Saber, Roblox, Paladins, SMITE, and others
Q&a
Speaker Spotlight: SocialPeta CMO Summer Liu on marketing trends and the potential of augmented reality
"The next disruptor might be an entirely new medium that hasn't been conceptualised yet"
Go Speed Racer!
Moving into high gear - see the brand new Triple-A Racing Kingdom at PGC London!
SuperGears Games' Racing Kingdom is one of over 90 new titles to be showcased at PGC London - PG.biz finds out more from studio CEO Yasin Demirden
Q&a
Speaker Spotlight: LBC Studios' Solon Bucholtz on cross-platform and AI trends in games
"I think the ongoing effort to make games cross-platform and make the experience interchangeable is really important"
Influencer Insider Information
Why you’re not seeing ROI on your influencer campaigns and how to fix them
Future-ready UA strategies: 5 steps to scale ROI on your influencer marketing campaigns
Optimising
How much analysis is too much? The fine art of balancing data and game development
Azur Games Maxim Kozhnov shares valuable insight on how analysts can optimise their workflow
Q&a
Speaker Spotlight: Verve Group's David Philippson talks privacy manifests and SKAN
"Apple plans to enforce privacy manifests in the spring, forcing advertisers to turn towards SKAN for iOS campaign measurement"
Q&a
Speaker Spotlight: Persona.ly's Joseph Iris on leveraging contextual bandits
Iris' talk will cover how data driven creative selection works and what UA managers should expect when working with DSPs or platforms that employ them
Big Indie Pitch Stories
Big Indie Interviews: Olexiy Izvalov discusses pitching, judging, and helping emerging developers
Interview: We chat with the long-time Big Indie Pitch participant and judge to discuss experimentation and helping the next generation
Podcast
Games Factory Talents’ Oleg Paliy on how to land your dream job in 2024 | Podcast
The PocketGamer.biz podcast team and guests give you the state of play every week. Here's where to get it and and what's inside this week's episode…
Q&a
Speaker Spotlight: AppLovin's Iris Gomez Sanchis on establishing a robust user acquisition strategy
"Discovery stands out to me as a significant challenge, particularly for new game developers grappling with an oversaturated and intensely competitive market"
Q&a
Speaker Spotlight: Appcharge's Miikka Luotio on how webstores can account for up to 40% of game revenue
"Owning your player base will become key in the future as this will also make it easier to attribute revenue for things such as UA and more"
Game Saver
Behind the scenes: How our relaunch reboot reignited Merge Gardens
Futureplay’s Joonas Virtanen discusses the redemption journey that led to the revitalisation of Merge Gardens
Monetisation Strategy
Aggressive monetisation isn’t fun for players so here's how to fix things
Midjiwan's Christian Lovstedt discusses how roughshod monetisation methods such as forced ads and tough-to-earn in game currencies are creating a negative experience for players
Direct To Consumer
How to choose a web store platform for your mobile game
In 2023, nearly every major mobile games publisher launched a web store - payment and platform expert AppCharge explains why - and how to go about creating your own
Q&a
Speaker Spotlight: Nexus CEO Justin Sacks on measuring the number of people making a living playing your game
"The higher the number, the much higher your chances are to achieve and retain success"
Ai Advances
Harnessing the power of generative AI to turbocharge mobile games
Product Madness chief technology officer Eyal Yaniv explains why game studios should embrace generative AI and how it can be used responsibly to define the future gaming experience
Big Indie Pitch Stories
Big Indie Interviews: Adriaan de Jongh discusses the importance of experimentation and creativity
Interview: We chat with the multi-time Big Indie Pitch winner to discuss creative development and marketing strategies as an indie developer
Bouncing Back
My personal rollercoaster of job hunting and growth in the games industry
Gamedev Camp founder Olle Pridiuksson discusses losing his job in 2019 and why he needed a change in approach to his career
Q&a
Speaker Spotlight: Aptoide's Jack Robson on how third-party payments could be a "game-changer" on mobile
"It could usher in a new era of monetisation strategies and user interaction in mobile gaming"
Podcast
Fluent's Matt Conlin talks game-changing user acquisition trends for 2024 | Podcast
The PocketGamer.biz podcast team and guests give you the state of play every week. Here's where to get it and and what's inside this week's episode…
Mena Focus
Savvy Games Group: “Approximately 75 percent of our capital allotment has not yet been invested”
We speak to Savvy Games Group CEO Brian Ward about the accomplishments of the past year, what we can expect to see next from the MENA region and Savvy’s new games ambitions
Q&a
Speaker Spotlight: Xsolla president David Stelzer on web stores as "the next big opportunity" for mobile games
"Off-store means of revenue generation are the clear future of our industry"
Crystal Ball Time
Games industry predictions for 2024 part two: Layoffs to continue, generative AI in production, and a year of innovation
The Mobile Mavens gaze into the crystal ball to share their thoughts and expectations for the year ahead
Crystal Ball Time
Games industry predictions for 2024: Big games will get bigger, M&A will start to scale back, and third-party app stores
The Mobile Mavens gaze into the crystal ball to share their thoughts and expectations for the year ahead
New Year's Resolutions
Mobile Mavens' New Year's resolutions for 2024 part two: Giving back, supporting those hit by layoffs, and not repeating past mistakes
The Mobile Mavens share their ambitions for the coming year
Aiming High
Fahy Studios charts ambitious course to reshape Saudi Arabia's games scene
The company's founders discuss their Kwalee partnership, upcoming projects and their plans to leverage the KSA's gaming landscape
New Year's Resolutions
Mobile Mavens' New Year's resolutions for 2024: Never stop evolving, make bolder decisions, and be nicer to each other
The Mobile Mavens share their ambitions for the coming year