Google Says Go
Google lays off 1,000+ employees in stealth as AI takes on the workload
Employees from ad sales, hardware, AR, Pixel, YouTube and more have been quietly let go through the month
Pgc London
Your guide to the hottest markets at PG Connects London
Facts, figures and insight into the latest industry trends from all over the globe with the Global Trends track next Monday January 22nd
Back From The Dead
Plants vs Zombies 3: Welcome to Zomburbia soft launches in the UK and other select regions
The hugely popular action puzzle game is back. It's time to enjoy classic Plants vs Zombies gameplay with another new twist
Rising Stars
Netflix's Grand Theft Auto re-releases dominate December's mobile app rankings
Data.ai's monthly gaming pulse for December reveals which new games globally are the ones to watch
Pgc London
Get practical tips on every aspect of game development at PG Connects London
Essential advice about making games with the Developer Toolkit track next Tuesday, January 23rd
Successful Defence
Homa wins Craft Island court case against Voodoo, ending almost three years of uncertainty
Voodoo had accused Homa of "maintaining confusion" through similarities between Homa's Craft Island and their own Lumbercraft
Pgc London
Pocket Gamer Connects London: The Game Maker Insights track sponsored by Room 8 Group
Gain hands-on game development insight next Tuesday, January 23rd
Media Partnership
PocketGamer.biz named media partner for first-ever Gamemasters Summit
Free digital conference takes place on February 21st, 2024
Layoffs Looming
Thunderful Group to lay off 20% of workforce in the first half of 2024
Approximately 100 staff members will be exiting the company as a restructure gets underway
Hyper-casual Growth
On Off Games lands $1.5M investment from Mobavenue in Singapore
The newly secured investment will help the company grow, develop new hypercasual titles and reach new players
Mag Millions
MAG Interactive’s Q1 EBITDA up 671,033%
UA challenges lead to 21% net sales decline
Gotta Earn 'em All
Pokémon Masters surpasses $300 million in lifetime player spending
After Pokémon Go, Masters marks The Pokémon Company’s second-biggest mobile game by revenue
A Strong Start
Pine Games secures $2.25M for mobile game development in Istanbul
The team currently has four staff and plans to grow that number to 15 for the creation of IP-based mobile games
Business As Usual
Despite new regulations Apple will still be able to charge 27% on external platform payments
While following new regulations to the letter, new changes to the Apple App Store Guidelines ensure that they'll get paid no matter what
The Place To Be
You can't afford to miss the networking event of the year in San Francisco!
Join us as industry titans from all over the globe converge in San Francisco for the ultimate networking experience!
Pgc Stories
PGC Stories: "It's so refreshing to have this platform to share and learn together"
MAG Interactive's Chris Peters and Titan AI's Fabien-Pierre Nicolas share their favourite PGC memories
Today's Apple Upset
Apple fail to dodge sweeping app store changes as the law closes in
The latest suit from Epic may have failed, but the changes previously demanded of the iPhone giant remain in place and will have huge implications
Job Losses
Netspeak CEO announces the loss of approximately 25 jobs
After a successful soft launch of their first game, Sunshine Days, it appears that further investment to continue its development has, as yet, not been forthcoming
Pgc London
Pocket Gamer Connects London: The Show Me The Money track
Explore investment advice and funding ideas next Tuesday, January 23rd
Tencent Tumble
Tencent's external investments have dropped 87% in two years
From healthcare to AI start-ups, the number of Tencent investments in external companies decreased from 299 in 2021 to just 39 in 2023
Macrosoft
Microsoft talk AI and topple Apple, making them the world’s biggest public company
Microsoft shares were up 3% last week while Apple’s were down by 3%, enough of a tip to put neck-and-neck Microsoft over the top
Whiteout Wonder
Whiteout Survival surpasses $400 million in 11 months
Century Games’ frosty survival title has slid its way onto nearly 30 million mobile devices
Out Of The Loop
Double Loop may be closing before its first launch but Scopely is taking on its staff
Double Loop has struggled through a "hostile funding and marketing environment" in recent years
Your Virtual Invitation
Can’t join us in London in-person? No problem, join us from your home or office as a virtual attendee!
Book your virtual meeting ticket today and access all the immense value of PG Connects London from wherever you are in the world
Class Confrontation
Into Games is raising £100,000 to take on class disparity in UK games
With working-class jobseekers eight times less likely to get a start in gaming, Into Games wants to make a change
Rallying Relief
Capcom and Square Enix donate millions in relief funds to support victims of Japan earthquake
Donations of ¥120 million and ¥50 million from two of Japan's gaming giants will support victims of the earthquake and rebuilding efforts
Pgc London
Pocket Gamer Connects London: The Digital Policy Decoded and IP Unlocked tracks
Adapt your strategy to new regulations and unleash the power of intellectual property this January 22nd and 23rd
Pgc London
Pocket Gamer Connects London: The Live Ops Landscape and Game Dev Stories tracks
Improve your approach to live ops and gain insight into the game development process this January 22nd and 23rd
Pgc London
Pocket Gamer Connects London: The Master the Multiplayer track sponsored by Photon
Hear tips and find new technology for the best multiplayer games on Monday January 22nd
Turning The Tide
Did GTA just save Netflix Games? Year on year installs are up 180%
After struggling to find an audience it appears that Netflix' gaming offering is finally starting to deliver the numbers thanks to Grand Theft Auto…
Pgc London
Pocket Gamer Connects London: The Creative Kingdom and Building on Blockchain tracks
Creative insights from Britain and beyond. plus get started with blockchain gaming this January 22nd and 23rd
Enhanced Player Safety
NetEase Games introduces regulation appeasing ‘Minor Mode' across all products
The move could indicate that the company expects rapid and random Chinese legislation to continue
Strategic Comeback
Activision Blizzard kiss and make up with NetEase ahead of China return
The move will see the return of Blizzard titles such as World of Warcraft, Hearthstone, Warcraft III: Reforged and Overwatch to the Chinese market
Job Losses
Discord to cut 17% of its workforce
Following four years of success, Discord makes its second round of cuts in five months in order to redress earlier over expansion
Pgc London
Pocket Gamer Connects London: The Virtual Visions and Big Screen Gaming tracks
Explore PC, console and cloud games, plus esports and cutting edge insights into virtual and augmented reality this January 22nd and 23rd
Job Losses
Cookie Run maker's Devsisters USA office to remain open despite layoffs
Albert Chung, director of US operations & marketing: "Devsisters USA remains committed to delivering quality entertainment to our fans and community."
Pgc London
Pocket Gamer Connects London: The Growth Track sponsored by Nexus.gg
Essential insight into user acquisition, retention techniques and how to grow your game - unmissable seminars this January 23rd
Star Stats
2023 saw record highs in time spent on mobile and almost half a million app installs every minute
Here are five key stats to know from data.ai's State of Mobile 2024
Podcast
Games Factory Talents’ Oleg Paliy on how to land your dream job in 2024 | Podcast
The PocketGamer.biz podcast team and guests give you the state of play every week. Here's where to get it and and what's inside this week's episode…
Track Rundown
Pocket Gamer Connects London: The Audience Accelerator and Marketing Mavens tracks
Discover tips and guides for growing your game using the best UA and marketing techniques this January 23rd
Job Losses
Playtika to cut 300 - 400 more jobs in latest rounds of layoffs
Another 10% of the workforce are set to go following the loss of jobs through 2022 and an unsuccessful attempt to acquire Rovio in 2023
Executive Exit
Unity restructure sees six ironSource co-founders step down
New CEO Jim Whitehurst clears the decks with key ironSource figures moving to non-executive roles while Tomer Bar-Zeev will continue to serve on the Board of Directors
One-stop-shop
Coda and Activision team up for new Call of Duty: Mobile web store
As a way of celebrating the launch, players can enjoy a 50% bonus on COD Points whilst enjoying other giveaways and promotions throughout this year
Job Losses
Cookie Run makers Devsisters shutters US office
Ex-staff take to LinkedIn to share the news of layoffs at the Korean company's US office
Sybo Celebration
Subway Surfers character crafting compo brings winning design in-game for 12th anniversary
Sybo’s endless runner is approaching 12 years, with a Craft-a-Character competition to celebrate
Pgc London
Pocket Gamer Connects London: The Webstore Wizardry and Alternative Revenue Models tracks
Join us as we explore different methods to boost revenue and the role of modern webstores on January 22nd and 23rd
The Greatest Genres
RPGs dominate consumer spending, generating 30% of all 2023 mobile game revenue
data.ai’s new report reveals reveals that the genre generated $24.5 billion - a huge 30% of revenues - from only 3% of total game downloads
Regional Revenues
China and US accounted for more than 50% of the $107 billion spent on mobile games in 2023
data.ai’s latest report reveals all about regional revenue and download differences
Strategic Downsizing
Twitch slashes 500 jobs - 35% of its staff - in latest cuts
Despite its widespread popularity, experiencing a surge in users through pandemic lockdowns, Twitch continues to grapple with financial challenges
Ai-powered Games
ArenaX Labs raises $6M for AI-driven game development
The company aims to use gaming as a way of educating players and gain a greater of understanding as to the workings of artificial intelligence