Funding
FRVR raises $12.7 million towards AI engine and games democratisation
Iberis Capital led the funding round, while further participation came from Indico Capital Partners, Lince Capital, Hiro Capital and others
Apple Fees
Popular creator's platform Patreon just got hit with Apple's 30% app fees
The fund-raising and small-scale publishing platform beloved of amateur makers had previously dodged Apple's 'app tax'
Gamescom 2024
The Gamescom 2024 party guide: Where to go and when
Making the most of the show - outside the show
Test Of Time
SYBO’s CEO Mathias Gredal Nørvig on Subway Surfers 12 year run
Subway Surfers recently celebrated its 12 year anniversary with a return to its classic look
Jobs In Games
Supercell appoints Gerard Griffin as its new CFO
Griffin will work together with Supercell leadership to grow the company and contribute to business decisions
Mega Mobile Market
Consumer spending in mobile games projected to reach $109.3 billion in 2024 up 3.3% YoY
Aldora’s latest report highlights mobile games as the biggest segment of all interactive entertainment
Milestone
Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery racks up $500 million in revenue
The game was also Jam City's most downloaded game for the first half of 2024
Revenue Arise
Netmarble turns a profit after years in the red, with highest quarterly earnings since IPO
₩782 billion ($570.4 million) in revenue led to ₩162 billion ($118.2 million) net profit
Profit Power
Square Enix’s Q1 profits more than triple despite revenue decline
The company generated ¥69.9 billion in net sales and ¥10.8 billion in profit this Q1
Mobile Mavens
Mobile Mavens: How to survive to '25
Our mobile mavens discuss the tough year of 2024 and whether the worst will be over in 2025
Acqusitions
Krafton acquires Hi-Fi Rush studio Tango Gameworks
The Tango team will now continue developing the Hi-Fi Rush IP and explore future projects
Gamescom
Going to Gamescom? Three ways to meet the Pocket Gamer team in Cologne next week
Join us for The Mobile Games Awards, the PG Party or meet us at our booth
Hot Five
Hot Five: Turkey blocks Roblox, Jam City layoffs, and the sinking of Shipyard Games
Our quick-fix roundup of the hottest stories on PocketGamer.biz
Podcast | Episode 24
The mobile games market grows again, and Turkey bans Roblox | 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 24...
Earnings Report
Take-Two reports $1.34 billion in net revenue teamed with a $262 million net loss
"We expect to achieve sequential increases in net bookings in fiscal 2026 and 2027,” said chairman and CEO Strauss Zelnick
Week That Was
Apple's acquiescence, Google's guilt, and what to expect from Nintendo's S(Wii)tch… | Week in Views
The Pocketgamer.biz team pick their highlights from the headlines this week and deliver the stories behind the stories
New Tech
Heroic Labs launches Satori 2.0 for improved LiveOps and insights
The new update is designed to live operations for game studios and publishers
Funding For Games
Arkadium expands into third-party publishing with $1 million developer fund
The company will provide funding and resources for high-potential browser-based games that can enhance its network
Earnings Report
Nexon hits record Q2 revenue fueled by Dungeon & Fighter Mobile success
Revenue exceeded expectations by reaching ¥122.5 billion a 30% increase year over year
Q2 Financials
Unity CEO Matt Bromberg talks “strengthening the bond with our community” at Q2 financials roll out
As second quarter results exceed guidance for both revenue and EBITDA there are bold plans, shock departures and new appointments at Unity
Canada Expansion
Xsolla opens new office in Montreal
Plans are to hire up to 50 new regional employees over the next two years
Epic Crossovers
Galaxy Quest invades Star Trek via Scopely's Fleet Command mobile game
When worlds collide… The long-awaited, fan-pleasing crossover is finally happening - exclusively on mobile
Netflix Coup
Monument Valley on Netflix breaks cover in Pakistan
As promised, the classic game is on the way to the popular streaming service with Pakistan the first territory to offer it
Five New Games
New release roundup: The best new mobile games from Olympic sports to 90s nostalgia
We highlight five new games that have broken cover and are all set to do big business
New Deal
Apple revamps business terms in the EU to enable App Store link-outs and out-of-store promotions
Developers can communicate and promote offers for purchases at a "destination of their choice"
Battle Of The Giants
Apple makes new enemies as it pushes Tencent and Bytedance to cough up their 30%
Never one to shy away from a fight, Apple are seeking to close loopholes in WeChat and TikTok that allow users to bypass their fees
Party Time
Join us at the Pocket Gamer Party Cologne 2024 in association with Aptoide during Gamescom!
If you're in town for Gamescom, come along to the Tivoli for networking after dark on Wednesday, August 21st
New Publisher
Digital Bandidos: "We are not a chop house where you will get lost in the shuffle"
CEO Steve Escalante on launching a new publisher during a time of industry turmoil
Pgc Helsinki
Metaplay CPO Teemu Haila talks top tips for startups and what NOT to do
Speaking at Pocket Gamer Connects Helsinki 2023, Haila discussed three key learnings worth knowing
Enduring And Delightful Experiences
Spinning a great yarn: Webby winning developers on creating captivating narratives
Following its recent Webby Award win for Beyond Hogwarts, Jam City’s Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery team shares its strategies for creating stories that delight and endure.
Winter Is Coming
Working with world class IP: How Zynga made Game of Thrones: Legends a hit
Executive vice president, Yaron Leyvand discusses the recent launch of Game of Thrones: Legends, working with big brands and that advertisement with Kit Harington
New Game Studio
Former Hitman and Raid: Shadow Legends developers launch Chamo Games
The studio is focused on developing a physics-based shooter with a diverse European perspective
Playtika Profits
Playtika’s profits surge 63.4% to $86.6 million as it reverses 'no new games' strategy
Direct-to-consumer revenue increased but overall revenue is down in Q2 2024 as the company reveals a return to game production
Investment News
MixRift raises $1.6M to develop mixed reality games
The start-up will use the funds to support and accelerate its efforts in developing MR games in 2024
Aquisitions
Nazara acquires UK-based Fusebox Games for $27.2 million
The studio behind the popular Love Island game is now part of Nazara's M&A drive for a $10 billion valuation
Ro-blocked
Turkey blocks access to Roblox
Government authorities yet to publicly provide a reason for the decision
Consider The Community
15% of monetised players spend more if actively engaged in a community
Mistplay's latest report outlines the increasing importance of social in driving retention, calling it the "lifeblood of publisher success"
Game Grants
The Draknek New Voices Puzzle Grant is back for 2024
Attention puzzle game master makers! You could be just an application away from a $15,000 grant and an expert mentor's help
Metrics And Upcoming Trends
Xsolla releases quarterly report on the future of gaming and game development for summer 2024
Key trends include the rapid growth of indie games, the power of influencer marketing and the impact of recent legal and regulatory changes in mobile gaming
Anniversary Celebrations
Nine years of Seekers Notes and 43 million downloads across 195 countries
Seekers Notes core producer Anastasiia Vorobeva on keeping competitive in the hidden object genre and the impact of community
New Publisher
Industry veterans partner to launch game publisher Digital Bandidos for indie developers
They're primarily focused on PC and console titles with a development budget of around $3 million
Partnership Power
Marvel Snap dev Second Dinner strategically invests in W4 Games and forms multi-year partnership
Second Dinner aims to build the largest game in the Godot engine yet
New Game Studio
Former NFL star and ex-Activision producer team up to launch new mobile game studio Marauder Tech
The Marauder Tech team are developing a turn-based strategy mobile game Price of Glory
Profit Power
NCSoft profit bounces back with 59% of revenue on mobile but not all Lineage games are thriving
The dev recorded $51.7 million in net income during Q2 2024, up 133% year-on-year
Funding For Games
South Korea's HYBE secures $80 million investment for games division
The first payment of 61.8 billion won is due by September 6 with the remaining 48 billion won to be paid by October 31st 2024
Big Moves
Nazara’s $100m M&A war chest takes India’s largest games company global
CEO Nitish Mittersain on why Nazara could invest even more in deals and his ambitions of growing the company to a $10 billion valuation
Apps And Att
Fewer than 19% of mobile games receive ATT consent as game CPIs rise 6% on Apple
Mobile game CPIs increased on Apple during Q2 2024 while becoming cheaper on Android
Esports World Cup
ESL FACEIT signs multi-year deal as official partner of the Esports World Cup
The ESL FACEIT Group will manage tournament operations and broadcast programming
Interview
"Jordan's talent pool offers significant potential for growth and innovation"
Chickmania Entertainment head of studio Mustafa Swiedan discusses the company's new initiatives, cross-platform aspirations and MENA challenges
Podcast
Rise and Play’s Sophie Vo on leadership challenges when scaling your studio | 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…