Financials
Applovin's Q2 revenue hits $1.08 billion, up 44% year-on-year with net income skyrocketing 286%
Their AI-powered AXON technology is cited as a key driving force for these latest numbers, with further growth to come
Finding A Franchise
Mad Crusader to invest in games with "franchise potential" via Game IP Incubation programme
Applications are open for the second batch of the eight-month programme
In-car Gaming
Mattel and AirConsole to showcase UNO Car Party for BMW vehicles
The game will be available on over 500,000 BMW and MINI vehicles through the AirConsole platform
Book Now
Final seats for the PG Mobile Games Awards 2024 in association with Gamelight
Join us for the splendid sit-down dinner ceremony in Cologne on August 20th before it's too late
Jobs In Games
FRVR names Quentin Staes-Polet as its new CEO
Staes-Polet has over 25 years of experience from leadership roles at Epic Games, Unity, Take 2 Interactive, and Ankama
More Acquisitions
Keywords spending spree continues with the acquisition of UK dev Wushu Studios
With over 20 such purchases under their belt, fuelling a £2.1 billion valuation, Keywords aren't done with their M&A strategy just yet
Reschedule
Scottish Games Week is hitting the pause button for 2024
The B2B event is no longer taking place this October and will return in 2025 instead
Profit Power
East Side Games turns a profit in Q2 as it moves further out of the red
It's time for a turnaround as the games studio recorded a loss of more than $130,000 in Q2 2023
Xsolla At Gamescom
Xsolla to showcase latest solutions empowering game developers at Gamescom and Devcom 2024
Experience Live Demonstrations of How to Enable Cross Play and Cross Pay Opportunities for Video Games
Distribution Delight
Candy Crush lands on alternative app stores
King’s flagship sweetens Flexion’s distribution portfolio, out now on App Gallery, ONE store and more
Advisory Board
PlanetPlay launches advisory board to drive environmental action in video games
The advisory board includes Niantic CEO John Hanke, Lockwood Publishing CEO Halli Bjornsson and more
Developer Deals
81% of mobile devs are making new games, but 27% say publishers "take more than they give"
Only 39% now see publishers as "necessary" as the landscape changes and deals get tougher
Jobs In Games
Krafton taps Jin Oh as their new chief global publishing officer
Oh will lead Krafton's global publishing and international business operations from September
Earnings Report
Krafton hits $1.04 billion in H1 2024 revenue as PC and mobile lead
Q2 earning increased to $532 million - an 83% increase over Q2 2023 despite a console revenue decline
Industry Sustainability
Sustainable Games Alliance forms to make the games industry a leader in global sustainability efforts
Non-profit group, led and backed by industry veterans, aims to create unified reporting standards to tackle sector's environment impact
Podcast
Taking Snake.io to the next level and building multimedia brands with Kooapps CEO CK Wang | 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…
Afk In Asia
China spends $5.1 million on Lilith's AFK Journey in first five days
The Chinese market is now its second-biggest, accounting for 7% of lifetime revenue in less than a week, despite a four-month lead in the West
Masterclass
TODAY: FREE Webinar - Game Design For Engagement & Retention
The one-hour online session starts at 4pm (UK time) today, Wednesday August 14th
Done Deal
Why Xsolla sponsored League One English football club Stevenage FC
Games, Hollywood and big money TV deals combine to spur a partnership in a town with a population of 90,000 people
Funding
FRVR raises $12.7 million towards AI engine and games democratisation
Iberis Capital led the funding round, while further participation came from Indico Capital Partners, Lince Capital, Hiro Capital and others
Apple Fees
Popular creator's platform Patreon just got hit with Apple's 30% app fees
The fund-raising and small-scale publishing platform beloved of amateur makers had previously dodged Apple's 'app tax'
Jobs In Games
Supercell appoints Gerard Griffin as its new CFO
Griffin will work together with Supercell leadership to grow the company and contribute to business decisions
Mega Mobile Market
Consumer spending in mobile games projected to reach $109.3 billion in 2024 up 3.3% YoY
Aldora’s latest report highlights mobile games as the biggest segment of all interactive entertainment
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