Big Indie Pitch
Drimia Interactive proves the fun never has to end as Aztec Ride takes the first Big Indie Pitch crown of 2021
We reveal the top three games from our recent Digital Big Indie Pitch #5
Get Connected
EE launches 5G across 13 more locations in the UK
"Today's recognition shows the continued investment we're making to keep our customers connected to what matters most to them"
Fired Up
Garena Free Fire was the most downloaded mobile game last year
It has racked up 100 billion views on YouTube
Outta Here
Apple removed 48,000 games from the Chinese App Store last year
Due to them not having an ISBN
Ninten-no
Super Nintendo World opening delayed due COVID-19
A new date will be set when the state of emergency lifts
Discount Ends
LAST CHANCE to save up to 50% on the price of tickets to Pocket Gamer Connects Digital #5
Early Bird offer ends at midnight tonight, don’t miss out on these amazing savings for February’s digital conference!
Hacked Off
The Capcom data breach looks worse than previously thought
Personal data of 16,406 leaked in the hack
Pokemon!
The Pokemon Company teams up with Katy Perry to celebrate 25th anniversary
"I love being a part of anything that is playful and is good storytelling and has really good messages to share with the world"
It's An Honour
Honor of Kings was the top-grossing mobile game in December 2020
Followed by PUBG Mobile
Trendy
Five mobile gaming trends to keep an eye on in 2021, according to Newzoo
Newzoo details a handful of industry developments set to shake up mobile this year
Open Communication
Discord users can have text conversations with Matrix-based apps
EMS has secured a deal with the company
The Best In Mobile Games
Nominate your game for award recognition on the world’s leading mobile games website
The Pocket Gamer Awards return in 2021 to recognise the best games in the mobile and handheld gaming sphere
New Partnership
Tilting Point forms live-publishing partnership with South Korean firm Storytaco
"Storytaco has done a great job of creating a narrative-driven game that has captivated audiences, and this partnership allows us to bring that thrilling storyline into the hands of even more players"
Economics
Under half of UK devs believe the economic climate is favourable for games
Though the UK games industry is expected to grow this year
Money Money Money
Fyber experiences best ever Q4 as it grosses $108.2 million
“2020 brought about unique challenges and significant uncertainty, and Fyber’s success in navigating these challenges is a true testament of the resilience and diversity of our business"
Political Views
ESA halts political contributions in wake of US Capital chaos
Trade body says it is reflecting on what to do moving forward
Big Spender
Mobile consumers spent $143 billion on apps in 2020
Games revenue is predicted to hit $120 billion this year
Welcome Aboard
Admix makes two key hires from Google and Spotify
As it expands in the US and EMEA
A Good Deed
Zynga teams up with will.i.am for a new GoFundMe initiative
"We are honoured to join the i.am Angel Foundation in their commitment to create opportunity and equity through education that incorporates STEAM skills"
Switched
Nintendo Switch sales surpass those of the 3DS
Production for the 3DS was stopped in September 2020
Pgc Digital
The speakers you won't want to miss at Pocket Gamer Connects Digital #5
Our most anticipated highlights from the 250+ expert speakers and 14 themed conference tracks, February 8-12
Ressurected
Disney revives the LucasFilm Games brand
Eight years after LucasArts was closed
Smashed It
Streamer TheGrefg breaks record with over 2.3 million concurrent viewers on Twitch
The Fortnite influencer hit the milestone this week
New Job
Scopely hires Ben Webley as its new CMO
"Ben brings deep experience in gaming and mobile advertising..."
Get Hyped
Homa Games partners with Facebook Audience Network for hypercasual game jam
HOMAJAM will kick off on January 18th with a $165k prize pool
Money Money Money
Animoca Brands had a record breaking 10 months in 2020
It generated $38 million by October 31st
Tweet Tweet
More than two billion tweets were posted about games last year
Animal Crossing: New Horizons was the most talked about game
Welcome To The Family
AdInMo welcomes new COO and VP of engineering
"We're delighted that Joanne and Kon have joined our team at this key growth period for AdInMo"
And So It Goes
Social network Parler booted from Apple App Store, Google Play, and AWS following failure to moderate violent content
The site has become a hotspot for right-wing networking
Money Money Money
Lockdown causes UK video games revenue to hit $5.7bn in 2020
Market saw a 14.5 per cent increase year-on-year, digital rose by 16.5 per cent
A Good Deed
King teams with Battersea for charity campaign in Pet Rescue Saga
To support with organisation's work with animals
Master The Meta
Master the Meta: What you need to know before Playtika’s IPO
To kick off 2021, the MTM team takes a look at Playtika's movements ahead of its IPO
That's Awesome
Awesome Games Done Quick raises $2.76m for Prevent Cancer Foundation
Charity event has raised $31.4 million to date
Check Those Ads
IronSource snaps up ad quality measurement platform SOOMLA
"SOOMLA is the ideal fit to continue delivering on ironSource's commitment to create the best business infrastructure for developers"
Money Money Money
European consumers spent $14.8 billion on mobile apps last year
$9.6 billion was generated through games
Switch It Up
Animal Crossing: New Horizons continues to dominate the UK charts
Multiple Nintendo Switch games have stormed the charts
The Future Is Bright
Interactive Futures to discuss career opportunities with students and parents next month
"It is vital that we carry on and build on what has been achieved in creating the gaming cluster of businesses in Leamington Spa"
Takin' Care Of Business
Mobile Games Jobs Weekly: Looking for a new opportunity in 2021?
The movers, shakers and job opportunities in mobile gaming
A Lot Of Loot
EA vet Moore says FIFA Ultimate Team isn't gambling, but understands scrutiny
Former exec says that his personal view is loot boxes are a "long way" from gambling
It's A No From Me
Nintendo "laughed their asses off" when Microsoft inquired about acquisition
Xbox firm also tried to buy EA, Square and Midway
Banned
Twitch bans Trump following Capitol riots
"Given the current extraordinary circumstances and the President's incendiary rhetoric, we believe this is a necessary step to protect our community"
Going Public
Playtika officially launches IPO
69.5 million shares to be sold for $22 to $24
One Of Us
Among Us tops worldwide download charts for 2020
PUBG Mobile was the most lucrative mobile title last year
Welcome To The Family
Epic Games snaps up RAD Game Tools
"RAD and Epic combining forces will allow even more developers access to tools that make their games load and download faster"
Entering China
Pixel Federation enters Chinese market with Diggy's Adventure
"We are very excited to bring our most popular game to Chinese players and we hope to steal their hearts"
Outta Here
Twitch removes PogChamp emote following Capitol Hill riots
"We've made the decision to remove the PogChamp emote following statements from the face of the emote encouraging further violence after what took place in the Capitol today"
I'm A Survivor
State of Survival surpasses 60 million downloads in one year
"2020 has been a remarkable year, and this is just the beginning."
Proving Popular
Over 28 million Americans became mobile gamers last year
"Our latest Facebook Gaming Marketing Report showed that the unpredictable nature of 2020 led to a significant increase in gaming audience and player engagement"
Ninten-yay
Take a tour around Super Nintendo World on its new website
Due to open on February 4th
Proving Popular
TikTok picks up the most non-gaming downloads in December 2020
It had nearly 56 million installs