New Partnerships
Saudi Arabia partners with Japan to create original anime and gaming content
The KSA aims to develop a local gaming industry that includes localizing Japanese games for the Saudi market
Earnings Report
Flexion reports strongest Q1 to date as revenue hits £18.3 million
The alternative storefronts company experienced a substantial 58% rise in total gross profit of £4 million
Mavens
Mobile Mavens: The Unity aftermath… Can it reignite the faith or are doubts only growing?
Our industry experts discuss the current industry sentiment toward Unity after last year's Runtime fee farrago
Five New Games
New release roundup: The best new mobile games from the potently papery to an RPG parody
We highlight five new games that have broken cover and are all set to do big business
Award Winners
Alan Wake 2 wins big at the Nordic Game Awards 2024
This year's finalists revealed as Remedy Entertainment takes home three accolades
People Power
Will your players earn you the Pocket Gamer People's Choice Award 2024?
Don't miss your chance to shine. Submissions close midnight on June 17th
Eager Experience
NetEase’s Once Human opens up mobile pre-registrations after 13 million on PC
Once Human will be a "seamless" cross-play experience on PC and mobile
Cloud Gaming Insights
Cloud gaming had just 6% of gamers in 2023 but will be worth $22 billion by 2030
Cloud gaming subs will grow from 184 million in 2023 to 687 million in 2030 according to a new report from GlobalData
Backend Burnout
Top mobile devs spend a "startling" $21 million on game backends
A Metaplay survey finds that deploying game developers to backend development leads to higher crunch rates and staff turnover
Super Sonic
Sega reaches financial targets one full year ahead of schedule in record fiscal year
Sega’s revenues and profits were the highest in 10 years in FY2023
Sega Strategy
Rovio, ratings, global expansion: Sega CEO Haruki Satomi reveals plans for FY2024
Sega reveals plans to leverage Rovio’s European success, bolster employee motivation, and grow its IP
Wanted: Help!
PlayStation's mobile aspirations are alive, well, and recruiting
A new job ad for a mobile platform architect not only reveals Sony's ambitious plans for mobile, but just how far they've got to catch up
New Offerings
Papergames launches new international brand Infold Games
The brand focuses on creating video games that foster emotional connections and immersive experiences
Podcast
Multiscription’s Teis Anker Mikkelsen on scaling subscription for gaming platforms | 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…
Anniversary
The Gaming Lab Jordan celebrates 13 years of innovation
Nour Khrais of Maysalward on 13 years of empowering Jordan's youth and the history of their annual App Challenge
Ditching Fatalism
Using first-party data: Your gold mine of insights, opportunities, and strategic potential
There's no point in fretting about tighter privacy. Nefta’s Fernando Pernica has all the advice you need to make best use of the data you already have
Milestone
MY.GAMES celebrates Rush Royale's 83 million milestone with Festival of Talents
The event is currently underway and will conclude on Tuesday, June 4th 2024
Ugc Investment
“I would love to invest in a studio that’s making a play on Roblox and Fortnite”
Nordic Game Panel discusses Roblox, Fortnite and the games industry's cross-platform future
Winners Revealed
Homa, Madbox and TapNation named as top tech startups by the French government
Winners will get support from a dedicated manager, increased visibility, regulatory assistance, and access to events, alongside tailored support from the French Tech Correspondents network
Record Revenue
Bandai Namco’s sales soar while profits plummet, as mobile hardly gets a mention
Record net sales were achieved in fiscal year 2024 but operating and recurring profits fell
Angry Birds X Sonic
How Playtika triggered Sega’s Rovio acquisition and what happens next
PocketGamer.biz sits down with Rovio VP of strategy and investor relations Timo Rahkonen to discuss the big Sega acquisition and what the future holds for the famous Finnish studio
Tiga Stands Firm
TIGA urges UK government to embrace graduate visa for international students
TIGA CEO Dr Richard Wilson says “International students bring different ideas and perspectives, benefiting both domestic students and universities."
Financials
Serbia's 15 most successful gaming companies made €175m in 2023
The Serbian Games Association reports revenue is up 17% year-on-year with 475 new positions being opened this year
Pgc Helsinki
Enhance your games industry knowledge at PGC Helsinki 2024
18 unmissable conference tracks covering all the hottest topics, from AI and Web3 to Finest Finland and Nordic Next
Interview
CN Studio co-founder Oussama Ouaziz on the growth and potential of gaming in MENA and Africa
"We've seen a growing demand for games that resonate with local culture and experiences, including games that feature regional languages, themes, and characters"
Strategic Growth
Netflix to launch in-house ad tech with global rollout set for 2025
The move will see the streaming platform compete against other industry giants with ad servers such as Amazon and Google
Epic Disney
Disney will let Fortnite creators use its IP to make games
Entertainment giant will offer developers "the opportunity to create their own wholly unique Disney-themed gaming experiences"
Congratulations
Unity for Humanity Grant winners revealed
The results of Unity's annual competition are in, with winners and honorees receiving bespoke grants from a pool of $500,000
Pgc Helsinki
Want to be a speaker at Pocket Gamer Connects Helsinki this October?
Build your brand with an audience of games industry professionals
Acqusitions
Keywords Studios green lights £2 billion EQT Group buyout offer
EQT Group has until Saturday, June 15th 2024 to seal the deal or walk away
Skills Gap
Evolving the leadership at Sumo to bridge the industry skills gap
Jenny Muhlwa shares her insight into the gaming industry's skills gap and how Sumo’s Evolve leadership programme aims to deliver the goods
Hot Five
Hot Five: AppLovin revenue surges 48% Y/Y, Plarium and Big Fish up for sale, and a look inside Merge Mansion's growth
Our quick-fix roundup of the hottest stories on PocketGamer.biz
Financials
Tencent first quarter revenue sails past $22.5 billion - up 6% year-on-year
The company enjoyed huge growth in Q1, highlighting the performance of Honor of Kings and the Supercell portfolio as key components to their success
Job Cuts
Phoenix Labs cancels projects and lays off staff in new restructuring
"This restructure has not come easily, and truly has been the last resort to ensure Phoenix Labs can survive, and thrive in the long term"
Podcast | Episode 12
Xbox's mobile games store and Unity vs. AppLovin | 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 12…
M&a
ByteDance sells Red Alert Online dev C4 Games for $35.8 million
Film and entertainment firm says Red Alert can generate "considerable revenue" in the future
Week That Was
Week in Views - From Aristocrat's big gamble to Take 2's big game…
The Pocketgamer.biz team pick their highlights from the headlines this week and deliver the stories behind the stories
Launch Day
Supercell's Hay Day returns to China's App Store after four year absence
Farming simulator launched on May 15th, published by Tencent
Earnings Report
Take-Two's mobile bookings make 53% of their total and GTA 6's release date gets locked in
Their latest financials show fiscal year net revenue remained flat year-on-year at $5.35 billion, while net losses increased to $3.74 billion
Anniversary
Minecraft celebrates its 15th birthday with discounts, in-game surprises and daily rewards
There's multiple celebrations afoot in Minecraft, not least the game's first ever special offer pricing
Subbed Off
There’s no room for a successful subscription service in games
Despite offering a great deal, it makes little sense for platform holders and developers and doesn't fit with player habits at scale
Five New Games
New release roundup: The best new mobile games from a battle royale to a console classic remake
We highlight five new games that have broken cover and are all set to do big business
Gaming Trends
2023 games revenue forecast drops to $183.9 billion, down $3.9 billion
Newzoo's latest report reins in their previous projected total, alongside dips in mobile gaming revenue
Key To Communications
Powerful PR: How great comms can boost your game's success
ZiMAD’s Anastasia Zaiceva explores the importance of communications in the gaming industry and how success can depend on the quality of your comms
Award Winners
All the results from The Finnish Games Awards 2024
Last night the Finnish games industry's annual blowout celebrated the great and good in games live from Ravintola Töölö in Helsinki
Talent Time
Nominations for the Pocket Gamer Mobile Games Awards 2024 are live!
Make sure your favourites take home the trophies. Submissions for all 22 categories is now open and closes on June 17th
Net Casting
Aristocrat Leisure eyes potential sale of Plarium and Big Fish Games
Casino firm is undertaking a strategic review of its non-social casino games as Product Madness stays off the chopping block
Gaming For Good
Niantic celebrate Earth Day success with 3.4 million players taking part
The numbers are in and this year's Niantic eco-drive proved to be bigger than ever
Earnings Report
Ubisoft posts record bookings for FY24 as mobile division shrinks
Mobile accounted for 4% of net bookings
Xsolla State Of Play
Xsolla Releases Quarterly Insights Report
The Xsolla Report: State Of Play offers insight on the future of gaming and game development and a preliminary analysis of spring 2024 metrics and upcoming trends