Format Failure
Fall Damage Studio declared bankrupt by parent company Fragbite Group
The Swedish studio was unable to pay debts and could not secure a publishing deal on their unreleased PC game
New Partnerships
Saudi Arabia partners with Japan to create original anime and gaming content
The KSA aims to develop a local gaming industry that includes localizing Japanese games for the Saudi market
Earnings Report
Flexion reports strongest Q1 to date as revenue hits £18.3 million
The alternative storefronts company experienced a substantial 58% rise in total gross profit of £4 million
Award Winners
Alan Wake 2 wins big at the Nordic Game Awards 2024
This year's finalists revealed as Remedy Entertainment takes home three accolades
People Power
Will your players earn you the Pocket Gamer People's Choice Award 2024?
Don't miss your chance to shine. Submissions close midnight on June 17th
Eager Experience
NetEase’s Once Human opens up mobile pre-registrations after 13 million on PC
Once Human will be a "seamless" cross-play experience on PC and mobile
Backend Burnout
Top mobile devs spend a "startling" $21 million on game backends
A Metaplay survey finds that deploying game developers to backend development leads to higher crunch rates and staff turnover
Super Sonic
Sega reaches financial targets one full year ahead of schedule in record fiscal year
Sega’s revenues and profits were the highest in 10 years in FY2023
Sega Strategy
Rovio, ratings, global expansion: Sega CEO Haruki Satomi reveals plans for FY2024
Sega reveals plans to leverage Rovio’s European success, bolster employee motivation, and grow its IP
Wanted: Help!
PlayStation's mobile aspirations are alive, well, and recruiting
A new job ad for a mobile platform architect not only reveals Sony's ambitious plans for mobile, but just how far they've got to catch up
New Offerings
Papergames launches new international brand Infold Games
The brand focuses on creating video games that foster emotional connections and immersive experiences
Podcast
Multiscription’s Teis Anker Mikkelsen on scaling subscription for gaming platforms | 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…
Anniversary
The Gaming Lab Jordan celebrates 13 years of innovation
Nour Khrais of Maysalward on 13 years of empowering Jordan's youth and the history of their annual App Challenge
Milestone
MY.GAMES celebrates Rush Royale's 83 million milestone with Festival of Talents
The event is currently underway and will conclude on Tuesday, June 4th 2024
Ugc Investment
“I would love to invest in a studio that’s making a play on Roblox and Fortnite”
Nordic Game Panel discusses Roblox, Fortnite and the games industry's cross-platform future
Winners Revealed
Homa, Madbox and TapNation named as top tech startups by the French government
Winners will get support from a dedicated manager, increased visibility, regulatory assistance, and access to events, alongside tailored support from the French Tech Correspondents network
Record Revenue
Bandai Namco’s sales soar while profits plummet, as mobile hardly gets a mention
Record net sales were achieved in fiscal year 2024 but operating and recurring profits fell
Tiga Stands Firm
TIGA urges UK government to embrace graduate visa for international students
TIGA CEO Dr Richard Wilson says “International students bring different ideas and perspectives, benefiting both domestic students and universities."
Financials
Serbia's 15 most successful gaming companies made €175m in 2023
The Serbian Games Association reports revenue is up 17% year-on-year with 475 new positions being opened this year
Pgc Helsinki
Enhance your games industry knowledge at PGC Helsinki 2024
18 unmissable conference tracks covering all the hottest topics, from AI and Web3 to Finest Finland and Nordic Next
Strategic Growth
Netflix to launch in-house ad tech with global rollout set for 2025
The move will see the streaming platform compete against other industry giants with ad servers such as Amazon and Google
Epic Disney
Disney will let Fortnite creators use its IP to make games
Entertainment giant will offer developers "the opportunity to create their own wholly unique Disney-themed gaming experiences"
Congratulations
Unity for Humanity Grant winners revealed
The results of Unity's annual competition are in, with winners and honorees receiving bespoke grants from a pool of $500,000
Pgc Helsinki
Want to be a speaker at Pocket Gamer Connects Helsinki this October?
Build your brand with an audience of games industry professionals
Acqusitions
Keywords Studios green lights £2 billion EQT Group buyout offer
EQT Group has until Saturday, June 15th 2024 to seal the deal or walk away
Job Cuts
Phoenix Labs cancels projects and lays off staff in new restructuring
"This restructure has not come easily, and truly has been the last resort to ensure Phoenix Labs can survive, and thrive in the long term"
Podcast | Episode 12
Xbox's mobile games store and Unity vs. AppLovin | 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 12…
M&a
ByteDance sells Red Alert Online dev C4 Games for $35.8 million
Film and entertainment firm says Red Alert can generate "considerable revenue" in the future
Week That Was
Week in Views - From Aristocrat's big gamble to Take 2's big game…
The Pocketgamer.biz team pick their highlights from the headlines this week and deliver the stories behind the stories
Launch Day
Supercell's Hay Day returns to China's App Store after four year absence
Farming simulator launched on May 15th, published by Tencent
Earnings Report
Take-Two's mobile bookings make 53% of their total and GTA 6's release date gets locked in
Their latest financials show fiscal year net revenue remained flat year-on-year at $5.35 billion, while net losses increased to $3.74 billion
Anniversary
Minecraft celebrates its 15th birthday with discounts, in-game surprises and daily rewards
There's multiple celebrations afoot in Minecraft, not least the game's first ever special offer pricing
Award Winners
All the results from The Finnish Games Awards 2024
Last night the Finnish games industry's annual blowout celebrated the great and good in games live from Ravintola Töölö in Helsinki
Talent Time
Nominations for the Pocket Gamer Mobile Games Awards 2024 are live!
Make sure your favourites take home the trophies. Submissions for all 22 categories is now open and closes on June 17th
Net Casting
Aristocrat Leisure eyes potential sale of Plarium and Big Fish Games
Casino firm is undertaking a strategic review of its non-social casino games as Product Madness stays off the chopping block
Gaming For Good
Niantic celebrate Earth Day success with 3.4 million players taking part
The numbers are in and this year's Niantic eco-drive proved to be bigger than ever
Earnings Report
Ubisoft posts record bookings for FY24 as mobile division shrinks
Mobile accounted for 4% of net bookings
Financials
Nexon banks on $22bn IP Dungeon & Fighter being a mobile hit in China as Q1 revenue declines
Franchise has generated more than $22 billion to date, as publisher eyes as much as a 90% boost to China earnings with mobile release
Financials
Netmarble cuts losses but revenue falls in Q1 after lack of new game releases
Publisher set to launch Raven 2 in May and four more titles during the second half of 2024
Blockchain Breakthrough
Immutable Games' Guild of Guardians launches today on iOS and Android
The long-awaited blockchain game has already earned over a million pre-registrations and a limited launch in Canada
Epic Breach
Epic Games hit with €1.1m fine for unfair commercial practices in Netherlands
The ACM has set a deadline of Monday, June 10 2024 for Epic to address the violations
Gaming Trends
65% of Gen Z gamers spend over 3 hours a day playing video games
The study from ZBD also shows that 34% find online gaming too toxic while 57% prefer playing casual mobile games
Rising Stars
Genshin Impact still pulls in the big bucks while Squad Busters' soft launch teases blockbuster success
Sensor Tower's monthly gaming pulse for April reveals which games are the ones to watch
Partnerships
Ukie partners with Tencent Games for Video Games Growth Programme
Applications are now open for applications for companies wishing to be part of the programme
Jobs News
PlayStation names new CEOs Hermen Hulst and Hideaki Nishino
The duo replace Jim Ryan, who exited the company after 30 years
Investment Round
Gorilla Capital invests in Lola Panda educational apps developer BeiZ
Funding set to help expand the educational apps, which have been downloaded over 40 million times, into new regions and languages
Platform Expansion
Mobile legend Stumble Guys is now on PlayStation 4 and 5 with cross-progression
With more than 50 million players every month and boasting more than 600 million downloads, the mobile smash also confirms a Switch version coming soon
Podcast
Tripledot Studio’s Akin Babayigit on understanding the business behind great games | 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…
Pgc Helsinki
Introducing Finnish Games Week 2024 featuring PG Connects Helsinki
Five days of games industry excellence takes place in Finland from September 30th to October 4th
Road To Victoy
Squad Busters puts on another 10m pre registrations in 11 days
Supercell's upcoming global launch has just passed its 30m total pre registrations target way ahead of schedule