Empowering Start-ups
Germany is supporting game studios with new funding program
Start-up founders can now apply for the Press Start: Games Founding Grant
Growing Ip
Behind the scenes: Bringing The Dragon Prince: Xadia to mobile
We discuss the games development with both Wonderstorm and Blind Squirrel Games
Save The Date
The Dubai GameExpo Summit powered by PG Connects, a key event in the MENA games industry, returns May 7 - 8, 2025 as Part of Dubai Esports and Games Festival
New Partnerships
SAG-AFTRA and Ethovox partner to build AI voice replicas and empower actors
The Ethovox model creates digital voice replicas based on extensive voice data
Mega Money
Microsoft CEO's compensation grows to $79m despite job cuts
Satya Nadella had requested a reduction in his pay package, which could otherwise have approached $85m
Podcast | Episode 34
Subscription without upsell is death! And IDFA changes are good now? | Week in Mobile Games podcast
The PocketGamer.biz podcast team give you the state of play every week. Here's where to get it and and what's inside this week's episode 34...
Web Shop Waves
100% of top social casino games have a web shop, while casual’s only reached 30%
Across the 20 highest-grossing mobile games, Appcharge finds 72% have a web shop
Pocket Premium
Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp Complete goes premium on December 3rd
The premium replacement will allow players to transfer their data up until June 2nd, 2025
Negotiations On Pause
SAG-AFTRA extends interactive media agreement negotiations after three days of talks
There is no official resumption date for negotiations at this time
Rumour Rebuttal
Tencent denies layoffs despite restructuring, leadership changes and VP’s departure
VP Zeng Yu is retiring as 10 individuals are impacted in management overhaul
New Approvals
China approves 128 new games including Supercell's Squad Busters
China has consistently approved over 100 domestic video games each month, while foreign game approvals occur approximately every two months
Legal Advice
Telegram Mini Apps: What’s inside?
Futura Digital’s Alexandra Kurdyumova and Christina Sirozh share on what Telegram Mini Apps are and how to be compliant with its rules and regulations
Hot Five
Hot Five: Barbie’s UK soft launch, Supercell’s London-based hiring, and Antihero’s IDFA perspective
Our quick-fix roundup of the hottest stories on PocketGamer.biz
New Studio
Mobile games company Digital Dunes launches in Media City Qatar
The company says it will bring Arabic content and culture to the world through its projects
Barbie Merge Mystery
Rollic soft-launches Barbie Merge Mystery mobile game in the UK
The title, which features puzzle and decorate gameplay mechanics, sees players uncover the mystery of the pink fog covering the Barbie world
Five New Games
New release roundup: Neko Atsume 2, Blossom Tales 2, Political Party Frenzy, and more
We highlight five new games that have broken cover over the past week
Incredible Indies
Incredible Indies: Cowleyfornia Studios on being a BAFTA nominee and developing Iron Roads
Marina Sciberras and Duncan Steele discuss their journey as indie developers
New Offerings
JetBrains launches free non-commercial licenses for WebStorm and Rider IDEs
Developers can use the IDEs for learning, open-source project development, content creation and hobby development.
Games, Everwhere
Everything is a games platform
Discord, LinkedIn, Telegram - everyone wants in on gaming
Strategic Growth
Redwood acquires majority stake in Indian games streaming start-up Loco for $65m
The deal will see Loco expand to global markets
New Studio
3OGS rebrands to The OGs as it opens new office in Córdoba
The tech firm aims to expand its operations globally following its acquisition by OV Entertainment in June
Loot Box Laws
EA victorious after Austrian court rules that FIFA 23 loot boxes are not gambling
The court said that the player did not acquire FIFA Ultimate Team packs with the intent to profit
Gaming Trends
Games industry M&A activity hits $2.5 billion in Q3 2024
M&A activity in games has grown for the fourth consecutive quarter
A New Path Forward?
Why the ex-Supercell and King devs at Antihero think IDFA changes are a positive turn for the mobile games industry
CEO Brice Laville Saint-Martin discusses his new studio's big ambitions for social gaming and why the games industry lacks marketing innovation
Developer Tools
Unity's Supersonic launches new AI-powered Game Idea Generator
The tool will generate and refine game ideas to provide key building blocks and initial code for development on the Unity engine
Funding News
Party Icons lands $9 million in seed for mobile-first web3 games
The company plans to develop its web3-enabled functionalities and expand into key markets by 2025
Marvellous Mena
Kayfo: Web gaming "has been a game changer"
Kayfo Games founder Julien Herbin and COO Thierno Ndiaye discuss the opportunities in web-based games, the rise of Edtech in Africa and monetisation challenges
New From Ncsoft
NCSoft to establish four new subsidiaries developing games and researching AI
The corporate split-off was approved during a board meeting but awaits green light from shareholders
Emotional Arousal Explained
How the deconstruction of fun works in mobile games
How Sensemitter brings together neuroscience, behavioural and emotional analysis to measure and improve player engagement
New Marketplace
Epic Games' new unified marketplace Fab is now live
Fab is successor to the Unreal Engine Marketplace and Sketchfab Store
Cancellation
Ubisoft cancels mobile game Gwen’s Getaway
The game had been in development for some years and soft launched in 2023
New Offerings
Apple is developing a new iOS games hub similar to the App Store
The app will display challenges, leaderboards, and achievements, featuring games from both the App Store and Apple Arcade
Supercell London
Supercell hiring London team for Squad Busters
Three roles currently open for a "small cross-functional team" in the UK
Negotiations Underway
Negotiations resume as over 120 games sign SAG-AFTRA's interim contracts
“We’ve had over 120 contracts signed and there’s no sign of things slowing down."
Jobs In Games
Jobs in Games: Usiku Games' Kevine Nzayanga on how to get a career as a game developer
In our Jobs in Games series, we highlight the talented team members currently working in the games industry
World Number One
Gamelight recognised as #1 rewarded source in latest AppsFlyer Performance Index
AI-powered UA specialist Gamelight has been named the number one rewarded source - globally - in the latest AppsFlyer Performance Index
Holidays Ahoy
Over 35% will play more mobile games during holiday season, with Gen X screen time to outdo Gen Z
Unity’s new US-based survey finds who’s playing, who’s spending, and who’s watching ads this Christmas
Marvel Milestone
Marvel Snap surpasses $275 million as it celebrates second anniversary
Mobile revenue dropped by 40% in year two, but movie releases may be changing its fortunes…
Women In Games
From SEGA to Pocket Gems: Julie Dragland’s decade-long journey forging industry partnerships
As part of its Women In Games series, Liftoff invites Julie Dragland, Director of Partnerships & Business Development at Pocket Gems to discuss her achievements, challenges & aspirations
Cook Curses Commission
Donald Trump claims Apple CEO Tim Cook complained to him about multi-billion dollar EU fines
The former US president shared his conversation with Cook on the PBD podcast
Studio Closure
PopReach Games closes Vancouver studio
Owner Ionik noted the sale of its games business by the end of Q2, but the division's status is unclear
Studio Shuttering
Netflix closes 'triple-A' studio Team Blue and cuts ties with senior hires
Big-name hires Chacko Sonny, Joesph Staten and Rafael Grassetti have all departed from the studio
Live Streaming
Noice expands beta to UK and EU as it offers financial stake with new monetisation tools
The platform provides a 70/30 revenue split and allows creators to sell virtual items increasing their earnings potential
Top Tips
Live ops should not be killing your team: Here's how to create a successful live event
Fundamentally Games’ live publishing manager Stephanie Field explores creating live events and ensuring long-term success for your game
Pgc Jordan
Pocket Gamer Connects Jordan conference tracks revealed
Nine tracks designed to unlock game development success
Call For Speakers
Share the stage with the best in games submit your talk for Pocket Gamer Connects London 2025
Studio Start-up
Supercell and King vets co-found Antihero Studios to "create games worth sharing"
The start-up will focus on multiplayer titles, aiming to produce socially engaging, "inspiring" games
Here Comes Halloween
Halloween hijinks get underway in Monopoly Go, Pokémon Sleep, Marvel Snap and more
Many developers are going spooky this month with tricks, treats and more planned for the days ahead…
Tiktok's Terrific Tools
How TikTok’s LiveOps program is elevating mobile game engagement
Discover how TikTok’s LiveOps program can help you boost player engagement, retention, and in-game success.
Podcast | Episode 33
Destiny: Rising heads to mobile and Unity's charm offensive | Week in Mobile Games podcast
The PocketGamer.biz podcast team give you the state of play every week. Here's where to get it and and what's inside this week's episode 33...