New Game Launch
Card roguelike Balatro is coming to iOS and Android this month
For iOS users Balatro will be included as part of the Apple Arcade subscription
Tag Team
Brawl Stars teams up with WWE star John Cena to kick off its SpongeBob SquarePants collaboration
The collaboration sets in motion the celebration of SpongeBob SquarePants 25th anniversary with an in-game takeover of the hit Supercell game
New Trailer
FAU-G Domination pre-registrations go live on Android
The Dot9 Games developed title aims to meet the demand of Indian gamers who desire locally relevant content
Mena Region
Saudi Arabia's PIF to transfer gaming Stocks to Savvy Games Group
The PIF will remain a collaborative partner once the transfer is completed
New Partnerships
AppsFlyer partners with Unity to launch privacy Sandbox on Android Solution for marketers
The platform introduces tools that enable personalised advertising without relying on user or device IDs
Meet The Media
Meet the Pocket Gamer editorial team at PGC Helsinki’s Journalist Bar
Get the word out about your game and instant feedback by speaking with the experienced journalists at PocketGamer.com
Podcast
TapNation’s tips for 1bn downloads in under five years with CMO, Vincent Février | 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…
Tech Giants Feud
Microsoft claims App Store’s 30% fee “makes it impossible” to monetise its cloud gaming service
"The 30% fee imposed by Apple on IAPs is the result of a lack of competition in the distribution of native iOS apps"
Signed Deal
Tencent’s Lightspeed LA studio signs SAG-AFTRA deal to work with striking members
Developer can now employ performers from the organisation for current and future projects
Minecraft Movie
Minecraft Movie starring Jack Black and Jason Momoa gets its first trailer
The film is set to finally arrive in April 2025 after a decade in the works
Stepping Up
Disney Step brings the House of Mouse into location-based AR gaming
New Drecom-developed title looks set for Japan-only release
Stock Drop
Ubisoft shares fall to 10-year low
This appears to be related to the muted reception to Star Wars Outlaws
Masterclass
Last chance to register for today's free Game Economy Design MasterClass webinar
Grab your ticket now for today's big webinar and learn all about game economy balance and building sustainable long-term engagement
Milestone
Coin Master hits the jackpot with $6 billion in revenue
The US is the largest contributor to the game's revenue, amassing $2.4 billion in player spending
New Approvals
China licences 117 new games for domestic release bringing this year's approvals to 850 titles
The NPPA has now licensed 850 domestic video game titles in the first eight months of 2024
Pre-registration Milestone
Cosy open-world adventure Infinity Nikki surpasses 14 million pre-registrations
Sign-ups for the Closed Beta Test of Infinity Nikki are now open
Missing In Action
The curse of Kingdom Hearts: Why can't anything ever go right for Square Enix's beloved franchise?
Square Enix have pulled Kingdom Hearts Union X Dark Road from App Stores leaving fans in the dark as to why
Tax Breaks
HMRC’s Video Games Tax Relief has paid £1.48 billion to UK games companies since 2014
Plus, in a revision of previous figures, £257 million was paid out in 2021-22, up from the £189 million initially reported
Connection Hazard
Resident Evil mobile ports now require internet connection to play
Developer Capcom claimed requirement was due to "changes to the startup process"
Studio Expansion
Sandsoft moves up in Barcelona with a new office for its growing team
"This marks a significant milestone in our journey to becoming a leading game publisher and developer"
Final Call
Square Enix to shut down Final Fantasy: Brave Exvius after $900m in revenue
“It would be difficult to continue maintaining the app experience”
Leadership Change
Games Done Quick names Matt Merkle as new majority owner
"It's time for new leaders to steer the course," said GDQ founder Mike Uyama
Layoffs
Tilting Point sheds another 90 roles - 20% of their staff
Despite big name deals and prime and popular IP the company joins a long list unable to weather the current games downturn
Financials
New games and apps business growth drives Lords Mobile dev IGG to $42m profit in H1 2024
Strategy games Doomsday: Last Survivors and Viking Rise push company to growth
Web3 Woes
Zynga sells up and backs out of web3 project Sugartown
Is this the end of the line for the game giant's web3 plans? Zygna has divested itself of all Sugartown assets as new company D20 takes control
M&a
Pole to Win snaps up co-development studio Ghostpunch Games for $13 million
Florida-based company has worked across platforms with partners such as EA, Gearbox Software, Bethesda Game Studios and 2K
Industry Divisions
Watch: The Great Divides webinar
Senior B2B games editors discuss industry divisions in the sector
Jobs In Games
Thomas Kœgler appointed Asmodee CEO as Embracer reveals new board of directors
The new board includes Embracer co-founder and CEO Lars Wingefors as chair, Kicki Wallje-Lund as deputy chair
Podcast | Episode 27
Savvy's MENA investment and Finnish dev Lightneer closes | 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 27...
Week That Was
Yalla's Middle East magic, Pokémon perfection and lights out at Lightneer… | Week in Views
The Pocketgamer.biz team pick their highlights from the headlines this week and deliver the stories behind the stories
Audience Choice
PGC Helsinki to shine the spotlight on indies with the Audience the Big Indie Zone Audience Choice Award sponsored by Jam City
The conference, which takes place on October 1st and 2nd, will also host a number of events offering developers the chance to showcase their games
Change Of Fortune
Tencent and NetEase rethink Japanese strategy with studio closure imminent
The first evidence of the change of heart is the closure of Visions of Mana studio, Ouka Studios just days after the game's launch
Tech On Top In India
Indian Government launches ‘Create in India Challenge' initiative to support creators
The competition features 25 challenges in fields ranging from animation, filmmaking, video games and music
Expanding Reach
Roblox opens up marketplace for more creators to boost business growth
"Our vision for MarketPlace is that it's a powerful place for creators and brands," said Roblox VP of economy Enrico D'Angelo
Enter Mobile
Bullet hell roguelike Enter the Gungeon heads to mobile in China
X.D. Network set to publish title in the country, over eight years after it was first released
Masters Monetisation
Pokémon Masters EX turns five: Lessons from an IP and monetisation masterpiece
Half a decade on, as the mobile games industry evolves, so too does the fine art of monetisation…
New Partnerships
Nodwin Gaming pens multi-year partnership with Insider.in for events in India
Insider.in will become Nodwin Gaming's official ticketing partner in India for all key IPs across games
Fashionably Fifth
Infinity Nikki due to launch later this year as series goes cross-platform
Infold Games’ fifth entry in the series will expand from mobile to PC and PlayStation
Direct To Customer
Aghanim opens Game Hub DTC platform, boasting 200% increases in net revenue
Their new web store tools can - they claim - drive 50% of revenue "off platform", averaging a 14 to 18% switchover on "day one"
Pgc Helsinki
Save up to £170 - PG Connects Helsinki Mid Term offer ends tonight!
Mid Term ticket prices are available until midnight, Thursday August 29th
Podcast
Kelly Kang’s Secret Sauce To Monetise Your Game Like A Boss | 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…
Double Jump
double jump.tokyo raises $10 million to bolster web3 games development
The Series D funding round was led by SBI Investment
Mena Region
Maysalward partners with NEOM for second annual Game Dev challenge
The second edition will kick off later this year in Riyadh to be followed with a round in Jeddah for the first time
Flagship Fishing
Ten Square Games profits up 22.8% as restructure takes effect
Fishing Clash continues to generate more than half of all net bookings, but Wings of Heroes makes a growing contribution
Game Over
It's lights out at Lightneer as the studio officially announces closure
Rumours have been confirmed in a social media post from Henri Lindman, the company's chairman and CEO
Netflix's Next
Netflix's SpongeBob: Bubble Pop F.U.N is now open for pre-registrations
The game will see players pop bubbles through hundreds of themed levels
Dynamax Debut
Pokémon Go to introduce Dynamax battles after a five-year wait
Previously exclusive to 2019 Switch titles Sword and Shield, Dynamax battles are finally making the move to mobile
Funding For Games
Google launches $2 million Indie Games Fund for Latin American studios
Indie game developers who have launched a game on Google Play, PC or console are eligible to apply
Game Closure
Harry Potter: Magic Awakened to shut down in Americas, Europe, and Oceania
Players that already have the game can continue playing until Tuesday, October 29th 2024
Partnership Power
Aghanim forms a strategic partnership with Adyen to deliver high-value payment processing capabilities
Two fintech firms join forces to offer games publishers cost-effective payment systems