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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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…
Apple Vs Android
Mobile games revenue growth is at a snail’s pace on Apple as Android closes the gap
Android users spent $10 billion on mobile games in H1 2024, versus $13.8 billion on Apple
Studio Closure
Supercell-backed studio Shipyard Games closes as investment dries up
The Helsinki-based geolocation games studio has slipped away quietly with a Discord message revealing its closure
Games Meets Social
Social First bag a further $4.2 million investment as they get set to "redefine social gaming"
Mikko Kähärä and Kim Soares' cross-platform company gains fresh funding for its first MMO, slated for early access later this year
New Approvals
China approves 15 import games, delivering a total of 76 import approvals in 2024
Nintendo secured approvals for Mario Golf: Super Rush and Paper Mario: The Origami King
Burton's Back
Roblox gets a Beetlejuice experience with in-platform ticket sales for the first time
The 1980s comedy horror movie has sequel in cinemas next month, but first, a Roblox experience with a ticket store built in
Turning Up The Heat
US judge finds Google guilty in landmark search and advertising monopoly case
It’s not just you. Yes, Google did create, and is running an illegal monopoly on search and advertising
Ai Qa
nunu.ai has raised $2 million towards AI playtesters and QA with bot detection on the way
The startup specialises in quality assurance for open-world games
Adapt And Approve
Square Enix and Tencent to team up on mobile game based on Final Fantasy XIV
Full details on the new game have yet to be revealed by either company, but a Chinese licence approval suggests the game is in development
Masterclass
TOMORROW: Learn how to design effective game monetisation in a deep-dive online MasterClass workshop
The first deep-dive online workshop of the MasterClass Summer 2024 Programme is Wednesday, August 7th
Profit Plummet
Nintendo profits down 70.6% with falling sales across Switch and other IP ventures
Q1 sales are down considerably with no new hits to follow 2023’s Mario movie and Zelda game
New Offerings
Microsoft and Activision form new Blizzard team to expand iconic franchises
This new team is focused on developing smaller games based on existing Blizzard franchises, potentially for mobile platforms
Major Milestone
NetEase’s Blood Strike rockets to 50 million installs in less than a year
The milestone was reached within nine months of official release in Southeast Asia
The Law Won
TikTok kills its Lite Rewards program following EU Digital Services Act pressure
The social network's system for paying users for watching ads, liking content, following creators, and inviting friends on board is no more
Masterclass
Last chance to buy tickets for PocketGamer.biz MasterClass: Game Monetisation Design Interactive Workshop
Develop your existing skills and learn new ones from the finest games industry experts in an in-depth learning environment
Tough Times
2024's games industry lay-offs: The stories so far - all in one place
The second half of the year is still providing tough times. Here are all the companies that have resized, restructured and shed staff so far this year
New Partnerships
RallyHere partners with ProbablyMonsters to launch two new titles
ProbablyMonsters will utilise RallyHere's services for its two debut titles Battle Barge and Hidden Grove.
Proof Is In The Profit
Web3 tech firm Improbable makes its first profit after metaverse pivot
The company shifted focus to the metaverse in 2022, and achieved its first ever annual profit in 2023
Rallying Revenue
Game of Thrones: Legends fires past $1 million with daily earnings rising fast
Zynga’s latest match-3 launch raked in $109,627 on August 4th
Layoff News
Jam City has laid off 10% of its workforce
"The overall upward trend has not materialised as expected," said Jam City CEO Josh Yguado