Player Power
Can your players bag you the Pocket Gamer People's Choice Award 2023?
But hurry – submissions close midnight on March 3
Chinese Mobile Market
China approves 87 new game licenses
Tencent, NetEase, and Alibaba are among the game makers to receive new game approvals
End Of Service
Square Enix to shut down Echoes of Mana after less than a year
The title originally released in April 2022 and is a spin-off from the classic RPG Mana series
Mobile Future
“Q5 bump” could boost M&A activity in 2023
A bump in app installs and in-app purchases over the holiday season could bolster the industry
Diving Into Data
72% of UK adults play video games every day
ExpressVPN research delivers the state of play, with millennials playing more than Gen Z
New Investment
nCore Games invests $1 million in Newgen Gaming
The funding will be used to expand operations across South Asia and the MENA region
Generated In Japan
Japan Fair Trade Commission reveals Apple and Android revenue and distribution
Their new report shows ¥1.59 trillion generated on Apple in 2021, ¥1.04 trillion on Android
A Blizzard Of Accusations
Bobby Kotick, Microsoft, and Sony clash over Activision Blizzard acquisition
Activision Blizzard CEO Kotick is accusing Sony of sabotaging the Microsoft deal, while Sony is accusing Microsoft of harassment
Alternative App Stores
Flexion delivers 12x boost to alternative app store revenue
The publisher delivered big gains for Top Games’ Evony: The King’s Return when published to the Amazon Appstore
Financials
Netmarble goes into the red in new financials
An increase in overseas revenue is high point in amongst grim reporting elsewhere
Applovin Financials
AppLovin earns $702 million revenue in Q4 2022
The company exceeded expectations following a turbulent year
Legislation
Krafton confident that BGMI will be 'unbanned'
The ban severely burned Krafton’s bottom line in mobile battle royale games
Milestones
Tower of Fantasy’s “Half Anniversary” celebrated by Hotta Studio
The open world action-RPG’s unusually early celebration signifies the rapid life-cycle of today's games
Leaf Is In The Air
Lumi Interactive announces Kinder World spin-off Take Me or Leaf Me
The company is hoping that it leaves an impression on players with a quirky new dating sim launching on Valentine’s Day
Financials
Nexon revenue up 49% for Q4 to record-breaking $618m
The Japanese game company credits a strong finish to the year with Dungeon and Fighter Mobile’s strong performance
Rovio Financials
Rovio saw revenue decline in Q4, but increases across 2022
The company's latest financial statement delves into the company's performance over the period.
Personalised For Players
Idomoo delivers 18 million personalised videos for Assassin’s Creed’s 15th anniversary
Engagement is impressive with nine out of 10 viewers watching their entire personalised video
Partnerships
Xsolla to partner with Mastercard for mobile payment support
Xsolla is set to partner with payment provider Mastercard in order to support mobile gamers making payments
Lobbying Knowhow
Your guide to the Pocket Gamer Mobile Games Awards 2023
How to help celebrate the best of the global mobile games industry
Drake Star Report
The top ten gaming industry deals of 2022
We break down the biggest acquisitions of 2022, as reported by Drake Star
Let’s Get Social
Your essential party guide for GDC 2023
Attending GDC 2023? We have gathered all the top gatherings taking place – don’t miss joining us for our unmissable Metaverse Mixer on March 22nd!
New Studio
Boss Alien founder unveils Hardball Games following successful seed funding
The team raised $5.2 million in a round led by Griffin Gaming Group and Playdemic founders
Financials
Krafton weathers mobile storm in quarterly financials
Krafton's financials note mobile expansion, the impact of the BGMI ban and floats potential cross-platform release for Project BlackBudget
Emblem, Engage
Fire Emblem Engage DLC to feature Heroes’ original mascot
Heroes original character Veronica started out as the mobile game’s antagonist
Stream Hatchet Review
80% of YouTube Gaming’s esports content in 2022 was for mobile games
Stream Hatchet has delved into streaming in 2022
Milestones
MY.GAMES’ Rush Royale hits 50m downloads and snags #1 Strategy Game spot
Rush Royale has become the company’s second-best performing game in terms of revenue this year
Monetisation Model
F2P scores a win with Retro Goal’s monetisation strategy changes
Football-style game will still be free from ads
Creating In Canada
Krafton Montreal opens with reveal of The Bird That Drinks Tears adaptation
The studio is being led by Patrik Méthé, with their first game being based on a series of novels
Audio Advertising
Odeeo saw 300% YoY revenue growth in 2022 with 10 billion ad opportunities
The in-game audio ad platform’s team grew from 5 to 35 people
Announcements
Xsolla expands digital distribution hub to telecommunications carriers
After debuting their cloud gaming solutions earlier this week, Xsolla are continuing a spree of announcements with their new digital distribution hub
Download Deluge
Sand Balls publisher SayGames surpasses four billion lifetime downloads
Amassed across 100+ mobile games with one billion of these downloads in 2022 alone
Join Us In Seattle
Pocket Gamer Connects is coming to Seattle this spring! Secure your ticket at the lowest possible price today
PG Connects Seattle is back this 16-17 May! Join us for our first conference abroad this year using our limited time Super Early Bird discount.
Job News
Activision Blizzard veteran Eric Wood appointed as Senior Vice President of Publishing at Scopely
Wood brings over 20 years of experience to the role
Announcements
Hot Wheels brings AR Rift Rally game to Playstation and mobile devices
The AR Hot Wheels racing game will release to the Playstation console and more pertinently to mobile devices
Metaverse
Cut the Rope creators ZeptoLab jump to Web3
ZeptoLab are partnering with The Sandbox for collaborative events and content
Working Practices
Fingersoft adopt a six-hour workday
Finnish mobile company Fingersoft have instigated a six-hour, five-day work week following alternative workday trials
Cloud Gaming
Xsolla jump into the cloud gaming scene with new solutions
Xsolla’s newest venture leaps squarely into the world of cloud gaming as they bring payment solutions to cross-platform play
Mobile Expansion
The Horizon franchise is reportedly eyeing a mobile debut
A job listing on Guerrilla Games’ website hints that the acclaimed series may be coming to mobile devices
New Acquisition
Original Games acquires Mergedom from Bigger Games
The Merge Inn maker is looking to consolidate its place in the market
Developer Tools
Yahaha Studios announces launch of 3D search tool Asset Ovi
The AI-assisted tool will help creators quickly find 3D game assets from a variety of stores
Activision Blizzard Financials
Activision Blizzard’s mobile revenue increased 14 percent year-on-year in 2022
The company’s fourth quarter financials confirms that their mobile gaming wing continues to outperform other platforms
Releases
Rogue Games partners with Netflix to release Dust & Neon and Highwater
Indie publisher Rogue Games will release two of their latest on multiple platforms, including Netflix Games
Activision Blizzard Fine
Activision Blizzard fined $35 million by US Securities and Exchange Commission
The fine follows an investigation into how the gaming giant handled workplace misconduct
Aquiblizz
UK Competitions & Markets Authority rumoured to block Activision Blizzard acquisition
According to sources, Microsoft are actively anticipating a possible block on the Activision-Blizzard acquisition by the UK CMA
Acquivision Blizzard
EU issues Microsoft with antitrust warning
The commission is the latest to take formal steps against the tech giant’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard
Trouble In China
Chinese internet firms report their first ever combined revenue decline
Companies such as Tencent and Alibaba saw sharp slowdowns throughout the year
New Studio
NetEase opens new Western studio Spliced Inc
Spliced Inc is the latest in a wave of international studios for the company
Sales
Rovio are officially in talks with Playtika, and others, for a potential sale
A recent statement on Rovio’s investors page indicates that the Angry Birds developer may also be in talks with other interested buyers
Anniversaries
Storytelling studio Brunette Games celebrates seventh anniversary
The storytelling studio has previously done work on major titles such as Lily’s Garden and Matchington Mansion
Niko Partners Forecast
MENA-3 games market to grow 56% by 2026
Niko Partners predicts that the combined revenue of Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Egypt will reach $2.8 billion