Music Gaming
The future of music gaming
Gismart product manager Vera Rabkina details the history of music gaming and looks ahead at what's to come
Spooky
Cultist Simulator will make a terrifying transition to mobile this spring
After selling 100,000 copies on PC, Cultist Simulator will let you perform dark deeds on the go
Critical Moves
Finnish studio Critical Force names ex-CFO Sami Tolonen as its new CEO
Former CEO and company founder Veli-Pekka Piirainen to focus on role as chairman of the board
Error 404
Report: Forza Street in development for mobile
Turn10 Studios and Electric Square helming the project
Global Charts
Weekly global mobile games charts: Playrix's Homescapes resurgent in the US top grossing rankings
Charts from February 18th to 24th
Acquisition Battle
Nexon shortlists five bidders including Kakao and Tencent
Formal bidding process starts in early April
Roundup
Games industry roundup: Activision Blizzard job cuts could have negative impact, Blockchain Games Next mini-summit, and top 10 streamed games
15 articles from PCGamesInsider.biz, InfluencerUpdate.biz and BlockhainGamer.biz
Hot Five
Tencent and NetEase's international sales rise, Fortnite revenue declines 48%, and Glu reveals Disney's Sorcerer's Arena
The hottest stories from the mobile games industry over the last week
Patent Reality
Apple might be developing an AR headset for iPhones
A patent filed near the end of last year hints at a further push into AR tech
How Many Rupees
Nintendo stats and salary revealed for Japan employees
Tom Nook thankfully not part of the accounting team
Events
Pocket Gamer’s ultimate GDC 2019 party guide
The definitive list of places to be at this year’s GDC
Locked Down
Tencent applies digital lock restriction for young Chinese players that requires parental consent to play games
Guardians need to unlock games for kids under the age of 12
Tanks A Lot
World of Tanks Blitz teams up with MMA star Aaron Pico for knockout advertising campaign
Collaboration includes collection of short ads
Potential For Concern
Activision Blizzard highlights risk factors for negative impact of its job cuts on financial performance
SEC filing cites the effect of the company's eight per cent workforce cull might have as a risk factor
Left Behind
Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak worries company is falling behind on foldable phones
"They are not the leader in things like the folding phone and that worries me"
Heart Of The Cards
Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Links summons more than 90 million downloads worldwide
Commemorative in-game campaign held to celebrate milestone
Iphone Fold
Patent filings show Apple might get in on the foldable phone craze
iPhone giant considers using heat to ensure bendy, more resilient display
Another One
Merchandise outfit Numskull launching a new games publishing business
Rising Star Games co-founder Martin Defries at the helm
Squeeeee
Former Big Indie Pitch winner Squeelings launches on Android completely free
Colourful-puzzler took home award at E3 2017
Dear Mobile
Updated: Publisher Playdius rebrands as Dear Villagers
A change in direction for the publisher of A Normal Lost Phone and Bury Me, My Love
Viel Geld
German mobile games studio Sviper raises nearly $3 million in funding
Investment lead by Modern Time Group
Interview
MapleStory M director on the challenges of bringing a 15-year-old MMORPG to mobile
Nexon's mobile MMO helped drive the Japanese publisher to one of its strongest years yet
Surprise Surprise!
Tencent and Intel partner for Instant Play streaming service
Details are scarce, but we'll likely know more at GDC
Job Losses
Brighton developer Wish Studios closes affecting 13 full-time employees
Known for PlayLink title That’s You
Reignited
Com2us launches Skylanders Ring of Heroes worldwide
Available in 120 countries
Tech For Change
Alibaba’s Tech for Change initiative aims to tackle global social and humanitarian challenges
A collaboration with iamtheCODE aims to support one million women coders by 2030
Jobs News
Riot, Amazon, PlayStation, EA and NaturalMotion vets join RuneScape developer Jagex
New executive producer, director of community, head of CRM and player engagement, RuneScape technical director and senior director of game engineering
Indie Publishing
US publisher Versus Evil starts 2019 with five new games and an indie fund
Versus Evil has also launched an indie development fund for
Bidding Battle
Report: EA, Amazon and Comcast all submit acquisition bids for publisher Nexon
New challengers join a growing collection of suitors
Teen Titans Goal!
Cartoon Network launches new games app Cartoon Network Arcade
Largest library of Cartoon Network games in one place
Sword And Shield
Pokemon Sword and Shield coming to Nintendo Switch in 2019
Launching worldwide later this year
Sweet Victory
Candy Crush Friends Saga passes $50 million in revenue globally
Slower pace than predecessor Candy Crush Jelly Saga
Funding Reality
Helsinki start-up Hipfire Games raises $205k for debut VR and mobile cross-platform title Fail Space
Studio focused on creating multiplayer experiences in virtual reality
The Hungry Caterpillar
Epic Games faces another Fortnite lawsuit over Running Man dance
Former Maryland basketball players Jared Nickens and Jayen Brantley front the claim
But Why?
THQ Nordic hosts AMA on infamous message board 8chan then clarifies it "does not condone child pornography"
PR and marketing director Philipp Brock claims to have no knowledge of site's history
Show Me The Money
10 videos from Pocket Gamer Connects London 2019's Show Me The Money track
Track sponsored by Braavo
Kingdom Cards
Disney collaborates with Glu Mobile on new card game Disney Sorcerer’s Arena
Mickey Mouse, Sully, Ariel and more feature
Money, Money, Money
Streaming toolkit Lightstream raises $8 million in initial funding
Chicago firm has accrued $9.8 million overall to date
Stretch Those Shoulders
OliveX raises $1 million to turn getting fit into a game
Funding comes from the likes of Alabaster and Antanas Guoga
The Road Ahead
Monetizer Mavens discuss the future of innovation in the maturing mobile games sector
Changing trends
Insert Dr. Evil Quote
Interactive trivia title In or Out offering prize pool of $1 million
$100,000 available in weekly competitions
Britain Bound
Nintendo’s Dragalia Lost launches in UK across iOS and Android
Ireland, Canada, Australia, Singapore and New Zealand see release too
Monetiser
10 videos from Pocket Gamer Connects London 2019's Monetiser track
Track sponsored by Bango
Hatching A Partnership
Hatch partners with network operator Sprint for 5G game streaming
Sprint hopes Hatch's game streaming will prove the potential of its new 5G network
Revenue Dropping Boys
Fortnite revenue declines 48% month-on-month in January
Peak month in december though
Warfare
Microsoft workers demand stricter ethics as HoloLens prepares to kill
Open letter calls for the cancellation of a recently-signed army IVAS contract
Fold Wars
Huawei’s Mate X is a competitive foldable phone to Samsung’s Galaxy Fold
Huawei keen to compete with South-Korean rivals
China
Tencent and NetEase see non-China mobile game revenue soar 500%
China's biggest publishers look abroad as the nation's market remains unpredictable
Event
Blockchain Games Next - Free Half-Day Mini-Summit During GDC - 19th March
Presented by Tron in association with Cocos BCX and brought to you by the team behind Blockchain Gamer Connects
Big Indie Pitch
Mousetrap Games feel the rhythm as Run The Beat races to first place at The Big Indie Pitch at White Nights Berlin 19
The Big Indie Pitch goes on the road and crowns its second winner of 2019