Hypercasual Hits
FreePlay doubles downloads in past year to reach one billion installs milestone
Coming from a portfolio of 18 titles
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
Acquisitions Abound
Paul Wedgwood’s Supernova Capital acquires Mi-Clos Studio and Little Red Dog Games
Ownership of IPs like Out There and Rogue State included
Level Up
Using artificial intelligence to create video games
ElectricNoir's Nihal Tharoor explains how they've been using artificial intelligence to help create interactive drama games for mobile
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
Success In Investment
2022 was the second best year for gaming investments and M&A ever
1182 transactions were worth a total $51.5 billion
Self-publishing
Robot Teddy brings on Vampire Survivors developer Poncle
Big moves are afoot at Robot Teddy with new team members and valuable signings
Unmissable Sights
Joining us at Pocket Gamer Connects Seattle? View the PG Connects pocket guide to the city’s must-see attractions!
Join us this May 16th - 17th in the Emerald City! You can currently save up to $390 on your conference ticket with our Super Early Bird sale
Releases
Tencent to release Chinese exclusive Honor of Kings in Brazil
The China-only MOBA game is one of a slew of titles now gaining release further afield
Releases
Devil May Cry: Peak of Combat gains worldwide release as Tencent opens up
More Chinese exclusives are getting global releases during a turbulent time for the Chinese game industry
Telling Tales
Telltale continues its rise from the dead with $8 million funding round
The studio was resurrected in 2019, but hasn’t released a new game since
Insights
What’s next for Supercell?
CEO Ilkka Paananen’s recent blog post gives insight into the Finnish hitmaker's plans for 2023 and beyond
Trends 2023
Mobile games industry trends for 2023: Publishing predictions: Part one
MobileGroove's Peggy Anne Salz looks at AAA growth, multiplatform releases and a shift away from hypercasual
Spreading Sustainability
10 Weeks To Save The Games Industry – Week 4
Matchmade CEO Jiri Kupiainen and GamesForest.Club's Maria Wagner's quest continues
Ports
Goddess of Victory: Nikke exceeds 25m downloads prior to PC port
The anime-style shooter will also collaborate with popular series Chainsaw Man
Chinese Gaming Industry
China’s games sales fell 10.33% in 2022
China Audiovisual and Digital Publishing Association has revealed the sector’s struggles
Viral Success
TikTok trend drives Dumb Ways to Die past 100 million lifetime downloads
The company has translated memetic success into record-breaking downloads
Gaming In India
Xbox aiming to bridge the mobile-console gap in India
Microsoft’s gaming arm is hoping to capitalise on both India’s thriving mobile industry and nascent console scene
Huuuge News
Huuuge announces share buyback program
The board has concluded that now is the time to return value to shareholders
Releases
Machine Zone announces new Final Fantasy mobile game
The Game of War developer continues their journey into the world of Final Fantasy with War for Eos
Company Culture
Supercell CEO lays out “the defining challenge” for mobile gaming
Ilkka Paananen explains Supercell’s philosophy and keys to success in his annual blog post
Job News
AdInMo appoints Scopely and Animoca Brands veterans
Multiple new hires bring experience from Google, EA, and Paramount Pictures
Roblox Financials
Roblox generated $579 million in revenue in Q4 2022
The company saw boosts in revenue, active users, and and hours engaged
Saudi Arabian Funding
Saudi Arabia raises stake in Nintendo once again
The country now owns 7.08% of the company
Interview
PLAYSTUDIOS' Mickey Sonnino talks diversified portfolio and the magic of loyalty programs
PLAYSTUDIOS’ new COO gave us an insight into their take on rewarded play and pushing beyond casino games
Ncsoft Financials
Mobile games generated 75% of NCSoft sales revenue in 2022
The company’s latest financials showcase the strength of its mobile offerings
Advertising
Alex Nunez talks intrinsic advertising and what's next for Bidstack Sports
We put our questions on the latest innovations in ads to Bidstack Sport's SVP
Appointments
VoxPop Games brings on Studio Wildcard Founder
Doug Kennedy, co-founder of Studio Wildcard will take on the role of executive chairman
Appointments
GameHouse's Emmi Kuusikko to lead female player-focused strategy
New appointment will take on the leadership role at the story-driven game developer & publisher
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
Immersion And Ai
Inworld AI’s report finds 99% of gamers are excited for AI NPCs
78% of players would talk to NPCs more if they were smarter
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
A Taste Of Mobile
Fanta rebrand includes mobile game launch to better reach Gen Z
Fanta Digital Ride n Sip includes motion control gameplay
A Deep Dive
Seattle’s video game market ranks number one in the United States – learn more ahead of Pocket Gamer Connects Seattle 2023
Uncover the potential of the American and local game industry market ahead of Pocket Gamer Connects Seattle this May 16-17
Technology
Wales Interactive continues to fly flag for FMV on mobile
New Five Dates sequel updates the old-school FMV concept with new representation elements
Marketing And Retargeting
The future of app retargeting with Google’s Privacy Sandbox
Adikteev and Google explore the capabilities of Google’s new Privacy Sandbox and the opportunities it will create for app marketing
New Directions
FunPlus Barcelona studio to focus on hybrid-casual games
The company’s newest studio is departing from its roots
Player Power
Can your players bag you the Pocket Gamer People's Choice Award 2023?
But hurry – submissions close midnight on March 3
Chinese Mobile Market
China approves 87 new game licenses
Tencent, NetEase, and Alibaba are among the game makers to receive new game approvals
End Of Service
Square Enix to shut down Echoes of Mana after less than a year
The title originally released in April 2022 and is a spin-off from the classic RPG Mana series
Mobile Future
“Q5 bump” could boost M&A activity in 2023
A bump in app installs and in-app purchases over the holiday season could bolster the industry
Diving Into Data
72% of UK adults play video games every day
ExpressVPN research delivers the state of play, with millennials playing more than Gen Z
New Investment
nCore Games invests $1 million in Newgen Gaming
The funding will be used to expand operations across South Asia and the MENA region
Generated In Japan
Japan Fair Trade Commission reveals Apple and Android revenue and distribution
Their new report shows ¥1.59 trillion generated on Apple in 2021, ¥1.04 trillion on Android
A Blizzard Of Accusations
Bobby Kotick, Microsoft, and Sony clash over Activision Blizzard acquisition
Activision Blizzard CEO Kotick is accusing Sony of sabotaging the Microsoft deal, while Sony is accusing Microsoft of harassment
Alternative App Stores
Flexion delivers 12x boost to alternative app store revenue
The publisher delivered big gains for Top Games’ Evony: The King’s Return when published to the Amazon Appstore
Four Force Multipliers
Four key tactics for giving your ad campaigns a force multiplier
Neasa Bannon, Industry Manager with Facebook Gaming, explains how to maximise your performance in a privacy-first advertising landscape
Predictions
Five mobile esports predictions for 2023 from ESL FACEIT's Kevin Rosenblatt
The SVP of Game Ecosystems for EFG gives his thoughts on where mobile esports will go in 2023
Financials
Netmarble goes into the red in new financials
An increase in overseas revenue is high point in amongst grim reporting elsewhere