Missing In Action
The curse of Kingdom Hearts: Why can't anything ever go right for Square Enix's beloved franchise?
Square Enix have pulled Kingdom Hearts Union X Dark Road from App Stores leaving fans in the dark as to why
Tax Breaks
HMRC’s Video Games Tax Relief has paid £1.48 billion to UK games companies since 2014
Plus, in a revision of previous figures, £257 million was paid out in 2021-22, up from the £189 million initially reported
Connection Hazard
Resident Evil mobile ports now require internet connection to play
Developer Capcom claimed requirement was due to "changes to the startup process"
Mena Growth
"Our focus on AI ensures we deliver the best possible experiences in our games"
YallaPlay CEO and founder Kareem Seddik talks localisation, leveraging AI in games and the company's focus on real-time multiplayer titles
Studio Expansion
Sandsoft moves up in Barcelona with a new office for its growing team
"This marks a significant milestone in our journey to becoming a leading game publisher and developer"
Final Call
Square Enix to shut down Final Fantasy: Brave Exvius after $900m in revenue
“It would be difficult to continue maintaining the app experience”
Leadership Change
Games Done Quick names Matt Merkle as new majority owner
"It's time for new leaders to steer the course," said GDQ founder Mike Uyama
Layoffs
Tilting Point sheds another 90 roles - 20% of their staff
Despite big name deals and prime and popular IP the company joins a long list unable to weather the current games downturn
Financials
New games and apps business growth drives Lords Mobile dev IGG to $42m profit in H1 2024
Strategy games Doomsday: Last Survivors and Viking Rise push company to growth
Web3 Woes
Zynga sells up and backs out of web3 project Sugartown
Is this the end of the line for the game giant's web3 plans? Zygna has divested itself of all Sugartown assets as new company D20 takes control
M&a
Pole to Win snaps up co-development studio Ghostpunch Games for $13 million
Florida-based company has worked across platforms with partners such as EA, Gearbox Software, Bethesda Game Studios and 2K
Market Report
U.S. tops global marketing spend in mobile, parting with $6.6bn on iOS and $5.5bn on Android
Meanwhile the top European markets for marketing spend are the U.K., Germany, and France
Industry Divisions
Watch: The Great Divides webinar
Senior B2B games editors discuss industry divisions in the sector
Mena Insight
“Hitseeker is a platform that enables Kwalee to publish games with minimal human involvement"
Kwalee's lead technical product manager Waqas Khan on the new Arabic-edition of Hitseeker and its potential to boost the MENA games industry
Jobs In Games
Thomas Kœgler appointed Asmodee CEO as Embracer reveals new board of directors
The new board includes Embracer co-founder and CEO Lars Wingefors as chair, Kicki Wallje-Lund as deputy chair
Hot Five
Hot Five: Harry Potter canned, Savvy's Saudi surge, Pokémon turns five and switching roles at miHoYo…
Our quick-fix roundup of the hottest stories on PocketGamer.biz
Podcast | Episode 27
Savvy's MENA investment and Finnish dev Lightneer closes | 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 27...
Week That Was
Yalla's Middle East magic, Pokémon perfection and lights out at Lightneer… | Week in Views
The Pocketgamer.biz team pick their highlights from the headlines this week and deliver the stories behind the stories
Mena Market
MENA market hits 7.9 billion downloads and $1.78 billion revenue in H1 2024
PUBG Mobile dominates games downloads and leads in revenue alongside Roblox and Subway Surfers
Mena Means Business
Savvy Games Group strikes key deals to power MENA industry growth
As string of partnerships and investments this week are focused on building the Middle East into a gaming powerhouse
Audience Choice
PGC Helsinki to shine the spotlight on indies with the Audience the Big Indie Zone Audience Choice Award sponsored by Jam City
The conference, which takes place on October 1st and 2nd, will also host a number of events offering developers the chance to showcase their games
Casual Games Report
Match-3 downloads are down 23% but Royal Match revenue coins it in
Newcomer Truck Star is the most profitable casual release of H1 2024, generating over $1.2 million in August alone
Change Of Fortune
Tencent and NetEase rethink Japanese strategy with studio closure imminent
The first evidence of the change of heart is the closure of Visions of Mana studio, Ouka Studios just days after the game's launch
Tech On Top In India
Indian Government launches ‘Create in India Challenge' initiative to support creators
The competition features 25 challenges in fields ranging from animation, filmmaking, video games and music
Indie Insights
Incredible Indies: Planting The Green Book for cross-platform pollination
Developer Eugene Lazebny on the challenges of being an indie and how Tapteek’s latest green-fingered project came to life
Expanding Reach
Roblox opens up marketplace for more creators to boost business growth
"Our vision for MarketPlace is that it's a powerful place for creators and brands," said Roblox VP of economy Enrico D'Angelo
Enter Mobile
Bullet hell roguelike Enter the Gungeon heads to mobile in China
X.D. Network set to publish title in the country, over eight years after it was first released
Mena Insight
"The key to infiltrating a market is being able to understand it"
Tafra Games CEO and founder Ziad Elgabaly discusses PC and console expansion, upcoming mobile games and the MENA funding landscape
Five New Games
New release roundup: The best new mobile games from risky roguelikes to engaging elevators
We highlight five new games that have broken cover and are all set to do big business
Masters Monetisation
Pokémon Masters EX turns five: Lessons from an IP and monetisation masterpiece
Half a decade on, as the mobile games industry evolves, so too does the fine art of monetisation…
New Partnerships
Nodwin Gaming pens multi-year partnership with Insider.in for events in India
Insider.in will become Nodwin Gaming's official ticketing partner in India for all key IPs across games
Fashionably Fifth
Infinity Nikki due to launch later this year as series goes cross-platform
Infold Games’ fifth entry in the series will expand from mobile to PC and PlayStation
Rebranding
“We’re one of the only platforms that enables mobile developers to publish their web3 games on app stores”
READYgg recently rebranded to PLAY with a continued focus on bridging the gap between web2 and web3 gaming
Direct To Customer
Aghanim opens Game Hub DTC platform, boasting 200% increases in net revenue
Their new web store tools can - they claim - drive 50% of revenue "off platform", averaging a 14 to 18% switchover on "day one"
Pgc Helsinki
Save up to £170 - PG Connects Helsinki Mid Term offer ends tonight!
Mid Term ticket prices are available until midnight, Thursday August 29th
Podcast
Kelly Kang’s Secret Sauce To Monetise Your Game Like A Boss | 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…
Double Jump
double jump.tokyo raises $10 million to bolster web3 games development
The Series D funding round was led by SBI Investment
Mena Region
Maysalward partners with NEOM for second annual Game Dev challenge
The second edition will kick off later this year in Riyadh to be followed with a round in Jeddah for the first time
Flagship Fishing
Ten Square Games profits up 22.8% as restructure takes effect
Fishing Clash continues to generate more than half of all net bookings, but Wings of Heroes makes a growing contribution
Game Over
It's lights out at Lightneer as the studio officially announces closure
Rumours have been confirmed in a social media post from Henri Lindman, the company's chairman and CEO
Netflix's Next
Netflix's SpongeBob: Bubble Pop F.U.N is now open for pre-registrations
The game will see players pop bubbles through hundreds of themed levels
Dynamax Debut
Pokémon Go to introduce Dynamax battles after a five-year wait
Previously exclusive to 2019 Switch titles Sword and Shield, Dynamax battles are finally making the move to mobile
Engaging Audiences
How to engage with a broader audience in today’s tougher games climate
Proxima AI’s CEO Alex Song on how developers should adapt to market changes and the increasing role of social media
Funding For Games
Google launches $2 million Indie Games Fund for Latin American studios
Indie game developers who have launched a game on Google Play, PC or console are eligible to apply
Game Closure
Harry Potter: Magic Awakened to shut down in Americas, Europe, and Oceania
Players that already have the game can continue playing until Tuesday, October 29th 2024
Partnership Power
Aghanim forms a strategic partnership with Adyen to deliver high-value payment processing capabilities
Two fintech firms join forces to offer games publishers cost-effective payment systems
Financials
Thunderful has had a "very eventful" 2024 as it seeks to "withdraw its existing financial targets"
The company's latest financials reveal that revenue is down 14.5% year-on-year but their move to a pure-play company is now complete
Jujutsu Out Of Japan
Jujutsu Kaisen Phantom Parade is going global with a 10 million pre-registration goal
SumZap’s mobile RPG launched in Japan in November 2023, and is planned for worldwide release by the end of 2024
Top 50
PocketGamer.biz Top 50 Mobile Game Makers 2024 to be unveiled at PGC Helsinki
Join us on the conference for the full reveal and representatives from some of the top 50 in person
Masterclass
Last chance to sign up to the game design for engagement and retention MasterClass
Two-hour online workshop takes place on Wednesday, August 28th and teaches attendees how to building lasting engagement and sustainable retention