Mixed Messaging
Saudi Arabia cuts Nintendo stake despite suggestions it could increase it
As of June, Saudi Arabia's PIF owned 8.58% of Nintendo, which is now down to 7.54%
Book Now
Save up to $175 on Pocket Gamer Connects Jordan - ends THURSDAY!
Mid Term prices end at midnight
Ruling Regulation
Epic beats Google: Play Store must allow third-party app store distribution in US
Starting November 1st, 2024, Google must allow distribution of rival stores from its own
Epic Enhancements
Fortnite maker "financially sound" as Epic Games Store hits 70 million monthly active users
Fortnite reached "all-time peak" of 110 million MAUs last holiday, says Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney
Riding The Waves
Wuthering Waves coasts to $150 million
The Shorekeeper’s release helps surge revenue, but a monthly decline is yet to overturn
Layoffs
Antstream makes redundancies in company's retro gaming division
The company attributed the reductions to a "strategic shift in focus internally"
Share Surge
Ubisoft shares soar 36% as speculation swirls over buyout
Open-world adventures and GaaS games are top priorities for the publisher
Funding News
OpenAI gets $4 billion credit line just days after $6.6 billion funding round
The company now has the flexibility to invest in new initiatives
Gamathon Takeaways
5 takeaways from Gamathon 24: Africa's youthful game makers shine, big tech takes notice, but monetisation struggles persist
The six day event highlighted the games industry in Africa through video game showcases and insightful panel sessions
Podcast | Episode 31
The Top 50 Mobile Game Makers 2024 revealed! Plus takeaways from PGC Helsinki | 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 31...
More Sims On Mobile
The Sims Labs: Town Stories appears on the Google Play store
The Sims Mobile and The Sims FreePlay are about to be joined by a third mobile title
Ubisoft Buyout
Tencent and Guillemot family considering a buyout of Ubisoft
The news has already seen Ubisoft shares rise after previously reaching significant lows
Investment
Finnish developer Future Run secures second round of investment led by Supercell
The funds will go towards the continued development of the studio's cross-platform title Riot Ball
Ugc Games
RIVRS raises €4 million to fuel its user generated content creations
The funds will see more games developed for Roblox, Fortnite and Minecraft
One Special Day
The mobile games industry comes together for SpecialEffect's One Special Day
Various mobile studios such as Sybo, Supercell and Rovio will contribute to the fundraiser
Ai Funds
OpenAI raises $6.6 billion making it one of the most valuable companies in the world
The AI and research development company is most widely known for its ChatGPT service
Premium Power
Balatro approaches $1 million in seven days on mobile
Solo developer LocalThunk released a mobile adaptation of the popular card game on September 26th
Pocket Palworld
Krafton’s PUBG Studios set to "faithfully reinterpret" Palworld as a mobile game
The monster battler’s expansion plans continue despite Pokémon lawsuit
Mobile Motorsports
EA veterans form The Three Thousands intersecting motorsports, pop culture and mobile
The Melbourne-based startup combines decades of experience in the games industry
Archero Arrival
Hybridcasual hitmaker Habby launches Archero 2 pitting players against the Lone Archer
There are currently 50 main chapters and 1,250 Sky Tower floors to play through
Number One
Monopoly Go developer Scopely takes the number one spot in the Top 50 Mobile Game Makers 2024
Developer has a string of top titles in its portfolio, including Stumble Guys, Star Trek Fleet Command and Marvel Strike Force
Store Expansion
MY.GAMES and Flexion partner to bring War Robots to alternative app stores
The decade-old title will seek new audiences on Samsung Galaxy Store, Huawei App Gallery and more
Store Strategy
Unreal Engine royalty fee reducing to 3.5% for games landing on Epic Games Store on launch day
Epic Games is making moves to flesh out its store with more brand-new games
Web Shops
Driving 25% of mobile game players to a web shop can lead to 8% increase in profitability
Nexus CEO Justin Sacks and FastSpring CMO David Vogelpohl discuss the top tips and benefits for making a D2C strategy work
Ip Impact
Devolver Digital’s new publishing label Big Fan Games to deliver popular IPs to indie devs
Partners already include Disney, Dark Horse Comics, Rebellion, Lionsgate and HBO
Permission To Play
Daily playtime limits added to Fortnite and UEFN in parental control update
Specific play windows can now be set as can a total daily playtime limit
PG Connects London venue pictures of The Brewery
Some candid images of the setting for PGC London since 2016
Avia Anniversary
AviaGames celebrates eight years: From garage-based startup to award-winning publisher
The company’s portfolio spans Bingo Clash, Bingo Tour, Solitaire Clash and more
Environmental Efforts
Kwalee and Joe Jonas join forces in PlanetPlay environmental initiative
Mobile game Text Express: Word Adventure will give Green Planet Pack proceeds to environmental projects throughout October 2024
In The Zone
Zenless Zone Zero surpasses $150 million, but it’s no Genshin Impact…
HoYoverse’s latest RPG has achieved a mighty milestone but much slower to the mark than its forebears
Pushing Through
The five pillars of perseverance in game development teams
Former Lightneer design director Jaakko Sarno on how to build perseverance and make great games
Finland's Future
How Finland's games industry is weathering the storm
Neogames Finland director KooPee Hiltunen discusses past successes, current industry problems, and what the future holds for the country's games hub
Pgc Helsinki
Pocket Gamer Connects Helsinki 2024 kicks off two day conference starring Supercell, Rovio, Fingersoft and more!
Conference takes place from October 1st to 2nd
Baseball Bash
Konami’s MLB Pro Spirit brings authentic baseball to mobile this year
The Japanese firm has three decades of experience with baseball games but typically the NBP
Games In Africa
Gamathon 24 begins with exclusive launch for game developers and industry delegates
The press conference paved a clear roadmap for what attendees can expect throughout the week
Mobile Manoeuvre
GOO NFT maker Good Gaming Inc to take "new path" as mobile game publisher
The company sets a new course after "obstacles" in the NFT market
Closure
Merge Games set to close as it integrates with Maximum Entertainment
Merge Games initially shared a social media statement about its closure but later removed the post
Lots Of Licences
Chinese licence approvals on track to surpass 2023 with 109 domestic games approved this September
An average of 107 domestic games are being approved every month in 2024
Service Stopper
Pokémon Unite to end service in Belgium and the Netherlands
Fans will be able to continue playing in both countries until November 30th, 2025
They Only Hurt
Tim Sweeney: "I have no regrets" over Epic Games' costly legal battles with Apple and Google
Epic Games CEO told PocketGamer.biz the costs had been "really significant"
Auto Blocker
Epic files lawsuit against Google and Samsung over “anti-competitive” app Auto Blocker
"This goes against everything we've been fighting for in Epic vs. Apple and Epic vs. Google," says CEO Tim Sweeney
Podcast | Episode 30
Ubisoft's woes and Genshin Impact hits $6bn in four years(!) | 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 30
Job Losses
Nexon America lays off “small number” of staff
Publisher establishes Western Development Group headed by Hanbyeol Oh
New Offerings
Discord Activities opens up to all developers to make games on the platform
The Embedded App SDK lets developers create, distribute, and monetise interactive experiences
Tapped Out
EA shutting down The Simpsons: Tapped Out after more than 12 years
Successful partnership ends after 12 years as EA focuses on owned-IP
Pgc Helsinki
Meet the sponsors behind PG Connects Helsinki 2024
The great companies that make the event, taking place on October 1st and 2nd, possible
Cause For Strike
Ubisoft faces strike next month as French union protests over return-to-office mandate
Ubisoft has faced challenges recently with the company's shares in decline and a call for change in leadership
Beacon
Rovio shines a spotlight on its games platform Beacon at PGC Helsinki 2024
Join the Angry Birds developer's principal product manager Niina Ojala for insights on how it makes its games fly
Pgc Helsinki
Dive into working with IPs and learning essential strategies for indie games development at PGC Helsinki
Day two at Pocket Gamer Helsinki will see both the IP Unlocked and Incredible Indies track take place in the afternoon
Ai Toolset
Gaxos unveils AI-powered development suite for faster asset creation and UGC with guardrails
Director of operations Manny Benor demonstrates a new dev platform that corals leading generative AI models for prototyping and customisation