Acquisition
AppsFlyer acquires data analytics company devtodev
The move bolsters AppsFlyer’s offering of analytical tools
Ubisoft Layoffs
Ubisoft lays off a further 124 employees
Ubisoft has lost over 1000 members of staff since September 2022
Funding Fun
GFR Fund to invest $53.5M in games, generative AI, tech and entertainment
Pre-seed investments are the focus, with Fund III also set to bolster prior investees
Funding In India
Following 200M downloads, Blacklight Studio Works concludes its maiden funding round
The round was led by investment firm Udyat Ventures among others such as Kratos Studios and Dexter Ventures
Early Results
Warcraft Rumble approaches $4M in four days with almost half of all revenue from the US
The numbers are in. Blizzard’s latest makes waves on mobile despite being locked out of China
Epic Vs Google
Game on: The Epic vs Google antitrust trial is officially underway
Epic is taking on Google regarding it's ongoing quest against the big mobile gatekeeper's App Store fees and monopolies
Saudi Foresight
Animoca Brands partners with Saudi Arabia in $50M deal to bring Web3 to NEOM
The future of NEOM just got a Web3 update
User Generated Universe
World Building - how Megamod plans to change user-generated content for every player
Industry veterans Alexey Kostarev and Dmitriy Semiriazhko plan to change the face of user-generated content with the new voxel-based Megamod platform. PG.biz finds out more...
Q&a
Halli Bjornsson on a decade of Avakin Life and what comes next for Lockwood Publishing
We discuss the very beginnings of Lockwood and the creation of Avakin Life in addition to changes in the gaming industry
Mobile Report
China generated over $42 billion in mobile user spend in 2023
Mobile ad spend is projected to hit $362 billion this year
Franchise Fortune
Monster Hunter Now is officially a hit, but is it the next Pokémon Go?
Almost two months on from Niantic’s latest launch, we take a deep dive into Capcom’s beloved franchise and promising new collaboration
Sega's Sonic Foresight
Sega Sammy Group teases first "Rovio x Sega" mobile game
The group’s financial report highlights future IP ambitions for Sonic, Persona 5 and more
Funding Success
TapNation generates $16.1 million in latest funding round
The round included the participation of Re-Sources Capital and Paluel-Marmont Capital
Meeting Mo.co
With the beta period over, what's next for Supercell’s newest soft launch, mo.co
Now is the perfect time to ponder whether mo.co has what it takes to meet Supercell's exacting standards
First Round Funding
Istanbul-based game studio SuperGears successfully completes first investment round led by TMRW foundation
SuperGears first investment round is based upon a valuation of $10 million and will add Crytek founder Cevat Yerli to the board of directors
New Partnership
Gardenscapes joins forces with alternative game distribution platform Catappult
The partnership will see the hit match3 title brought to alternative app stores
Pgc Stories
PGC Stories: "PGC London was where we met the people who acquired our first games startup"
Quicksave CEO Elina Arponen and Popcore senior ASO manager Marina Roglic share their PGC memories
Stillfront Financials
Stillfront Group drew almost $154 million in revenue in 2023’s third quarter
The figure represents a 7% decline from the same period last year
Hot Five
Hot Five: Web3 tactics gaming, FunPlus’ latest soft launch and a bunch of new investments
Our quick-fix roundup of the hottest stories on PocketGamer.biz
Opportunities For Indies
Meet with developers, publishers and investors at the Pocket Gamer Connects London 2024 fringe events
Get an exclusive look at the abundance of unmissable opportunities at PG Connects London!
Interview
Everything you need to know about Blizzard’s new mobile game Warcraft Rumble
We spoke with the games senior animator, Carin Huurnink and senior game designer Brendan Farrell
Week That Was
Week in Views - What caught our eyes in the last seven days
The Pocketgamer.biz team take their pick of this weeks big news, Kingdom Hearts getting geolocated, Bungie swinging the axe and Silent Hill's fate worse than death…
Share Your Story
Share your Pocket Gamer Connects Memories and win 2 tickets to the show 2024
Celebrate over a decade of doing business at PG Connects and be part of the experience by sharing your PGC Stories with us
New Studio
Netease power up Fantastic Pixel Castle with ex-Riot and Blizzard veteran Greg Street
The new studio is working on a new MMO with ex staff from World of Warcraft, Guild Wars 2, Fortnite, Overwatch, Valorant and League of Legends
Investment In India
Kratos Studios launches Kratos Games Network to invest in game studios
The $6 million fund aims to target ten to fifteen studios by March 2024
Fan-tasmagoria
Under the microscope: Here's what's wrong with Silent Hill: Ascension
Genvid’s Massively Interactive Live Event has attracted considerable criticism from fans just days after launch, but it's not too late to turn this ship around
Korean Market
South Korea’s in-app purchase revenue has reached almost $3.6 billion in the year to date
Sensor Tower's report reveals that revenue remains above pre-pandemic levels, but downloads are down
Five New Games
New release roundup: The best new mobile games from time travelling Brits to cat rescuers
We highlight five new games that have broken cover and are all set to do big business
Podcast
Skillprint’s Chethan Ramachandran: Combining neuroscience and AI for adaptive play | Podcast
The PocketGamer.biz podcast team and guests give you the state of play every week. Here's where to get it and and what's inside this week's episode…
Q&a
Chris Petrovic, CBO at FunPlus talks new soft launch, Sea of Conquest
Sea of Conquest is AAA strategy on mobile from the creators of State of Survival and Guns of Glory
Ea Financials
EA mobile game revenue declines 5% in Q2
Mobile generated $304 million in revenue in the latest quarterly report, down from $320 million in the period prior
Development In Mena
Artisan opens new studio in Riyadh
The studio has been created in cooperation with Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Investment
Conference Highlights
First speakers announced for PGC London - our flagship conference in January
Get a sneak peek at the star studded line-up who will be sharing their insights with us in January 2024 at Pocket Gamer Connects London
Favourable Foresight
Indian gaming market predictions fall by $1 billion, but steady growth continues
The region’s previous $8.6 billion projection has fallen to $7.5 billion
Mena Market
The MENA Opportunity in a post-ATT mobile games market
Sandsoft's Ratko Bozovic discusses how the MENA market is on the rise despite privacy policies changes shaking mobile’s foundations
Unmissable Tracks
Experience cutting edge content at PG Connects London
Insightful talks, the best kept industry secrets and much more will be revealed at this January’s PG Connects conference in London
A Happy Birthday
Goddess of Victory: Nikke celebrates an incredibly lucrative first anniversary
After a year on the market Shift Up’s star performer comes out victorious despite complaints and controversy
Brazil Budge
PTW to expand into Brazil, producing the company's 44th office
Joao Albani will lead the new office expected to employ upwards of 100 local workers
Women In Games
Product Madness’ Ayşe Betül Eser on building a winning user acquisition strategy
The quest for successful user acquisition has undergone radical changes in recent times. Here Ayşe Betül Eser explains how to win hearts and minds while keeping costs down
Visit London
Start planning your trip to London for Pocket Gamer Connects London 2024!
The leading games industry conference is returning to London this January – start planning out your days around the conference with this helpful guide to London attractions!
Acquisition Achieved
Modern Times Group takes 100% ownership of PlaySimple
Modern Times Group has seen a successful 2023 and goes from strength to strength with this latest deal
Linking Locations
Kingdom Hearts: Missing Link’s closed beta confirms geolocation gameplay
Square Enix has confirmed an upcoming beta test for iOS, with an Android test to follow
Ai Advances
From underdogs to game changers: How indie studios can use AI to change the industry
Ludo.ai’s Tom Pigott explains how indie studios can utilise AI to flourish
Job Losses
AdVenture Capitalist dev Hyper Hippo lays off over a quarter of staff
Redundancies hit various departments, including production and marketing
Adventurous Achievement
Seven Knights Idle Adventure pushes Netmarble to second biggest Korean mobile publisher
Idle Adventure has generated $40 million just under two months of global launch
Layoffs
Bungie axes staff throwing rumoured Destiny Mobile into uncertainty
After acquiring the company 15 months ago and in the face of difficult times for gaming at large, Sony are cutting costs and key staff
Lawsuit Landing
AviaGames accused of using bots to win its own cash prizes
A lawsuit from Big Run Studios and Skillz alleges that AviaGames Bingo Clash not only copied their Blackout Bingo but use bots to deprive winners
Modern Times, Mo' Money
Modern Times Group Q3 results show "even more encouraging" growth
MTG’s Q3 financials buck trends to reveal 6% year-on-year revenue growth
Jaws Of Defeat
Ubisoft London studio to close following loss of Hungry Shark development duties
After having the game they created handed to Ubisoft Barcelona, the move has proved to be the end of the line for Hungry Shark's originators
Q&a
Behind the scenes: The making of Tangle Tower
Creators Adam Vian and Tom Vian share the design and development process behind the murder mystery point-and-click adventure game