On The Tube
Subway Surfers developer SYBO set to tap into video streaming with new platform
SYBO TV is expected to land in the fourth quarter of 2018
Staff
Iain Harris
About Iain is a freelance writer based in Scotland with a penchant for indies and all things Nintendo. Alongside PocketGamer.Biz, he has also appeared in Kotaku, Rock Paper Shotgun, PCGamesN and VG24/7.
Articles by Iain Harris
Blast Off
Rovio soft-launches Angry Birds Dream Blast in Finland and the UK
The bubble popper is available on iOS and Android
Busted
Four Thirty Three’s Ghostbusters World lands in Singapore, Sweden, Denmark and New Zealand
The location-based augmented reality game is expected to release October 22nd
Homely
Playrix’s Homescapes builds up $420m in revenue for first year
The game took in $28.5 million in September
Crunched
IGDA responds to public outcry over working conditions within the gaming industry
Executive director Jen MacLean remarked that it was unfortunately common but IGDA is looking into it
Referred
Mobile gamers referred through organic social channels have up to 67% higher retention
They also have a 63 per cent higher lifetime session count versus non-referred players
Woah
In-app header bidding can increase ARPDAU by 30%, claims Appodeal
Participating app of the test also saw eCPM rise by 17 per cent
Fishing
Digital marketing outfit Jellyfish knuckles down on app space with ASO Co purchase
Among ASO Co’s clientele are Spotify, eBay and Twitter
Switch Up
New and improved Nintendo Switch in the works for 2019
The goal is to make the device brighter, thinner and more energy efficient
Tale Continued?
Telltale wants another company to hire ex-staff and finish The Walking Dead: The Final Season
The third episode is reportedly nearly finished
Yo-yoing Between
Why GameMaker Studio's YoYo Games is getting into indie publishing
"This comes from something that is an extension of what GameMaker has been trying to do for years, which is making the next generation of games developers"
Royalties
Ketchapp brings Ubisoft’s Prince of Persia IP to mobile
Prince of Persia: Escape landed on iOS and Android September 27th
Returning
Garena Online publishes Contra: Return in Southeast Asia
The retro-classic is currently available in Philippines, Thailand, Macau, Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan, Indonesia and Hong Kong
Indie Spotlight
From virtual boots to managerial suits: Simon Read on the evolution of New Star Soccer
"I was determined to make the game as accessible as possible and bring a bit of light-hearted fun back to football management"
Hot Five
Scopely eyes M&A activity, Candy Crush Friends Saga launch closes in, and Big Fish layoffs
The past weeks hottest articles
Found
Nintendo’s Dragalia Lost hits top download spots in four countries and is a top 30 grosser in the US
Those countries being Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macau
Closure
Disney Canada layoffs as Club Penguin Island closes
The web version of the social game had shut down the year prior
Indie Mavens
Should indie developers release their games in Asia?
Our Indie mavens weigh in
Lighting The Fuse
"It absolutely puts us on the map": Fusebox's Michael Othen on the success of Love Island: The Game
“These conversations were a little bit harder to have when we were somewhat unproven and making these kinds of games"
Console Switch
Nintendo Switch Online companion app hits five million downloads
The total is 25 per cent of the console’s install base
Lost And Found
Nintendo’s Dragalia Lost launches after racking up over one million pre-registrations
Players will get 2,500 for hitting the milestone should they log into Dragaila Lost
More Tales To Tell
AMC and Smilegate backed out of Telltale financing talks day before closure
Source says management painted AMC deal as done
Fine Catch
Pokemon Go captures over $2bn through player spending
The location-based AR game hit the milestone after 811 days following hitting 1 billion in 302 days
Cut
Big Fish Games cut 15% of workforce eight months after $1 billion takeover
Company out to restructure around social casino and casual games as executive roles also cut
Indie Spotlight
Grapefrukt's Martin Jonasson breaks down his career and the development of Holedown
"It all got started when I was playing another game with somewhat similar mechanics. Shoot a ball, break bricks. Repeat"
Hammered
How Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Realm War reminisces the miniatures while adding midcore influence
“The real target for the game is midcore mobile gamers so the game plays well to a much wider audience”
Cliffhanger
Telltale moves to quell fan fears over The Walking Dead amid pressure to offer ex-employees severance
The developer offered the update on Twitter
Tales To Tell
Netflix evaluates options for Stranger Things game while Minecraft: Story Mode moves forward amid Telltale closure
The streaming service confirmed the news in a written statement
Cancelled
Telltale’s The Walking Dead and The Wolf Among Us unlikely to see completion, claims voice actress
Clementine voice actress Melissa Hutchinson took to Twitter to share the news
Studio Closure
“I'm mostly saddened for the people who are losing their jobs”: Ousted Telltale CEO speaks out on studio closure
Kevin Bruner was originally ousted from the company last year by investors
Woop
Tru Luv’s #SelfCare whips up over half a million downloads in seven weeks
The companion app has also broken the Top 50 for games in 20 countries
Hot Five
Disney shuts down Star Wars: Rivals, Honor of Kings takes $3.5bn in revenue and Tencent unveil Lego Cube
The past weeks hottest articles
Job News Klaxon
Former Netflix publicity director joins Scopely as head of corporate communications
Geldmacher will be responsible for strategy and oversight of the company’s global brand and worldwide corporate narrative
Sunk
Asia fanfare helps Yostar’s Azur Lane sink over $170m in revenue
The chibi-styled strategy game launched in May of last year
Jobs In Games
Jobs in Games: Space Ape’s Ioannis Lefkatditis on leading the charge with Transformers: Earth Wars
From degrees to job misconceptions, Lefkatditis on how to get a job as a product lead
Engage
Tilting Point extends Disruptor Beam deal with fresh $29m investment in Star Trek Timelines marketing
The publisher will help fund a new project as part of the deal and will handle marketing on Star Trek Timelines
Cube
Tencent and LEGO unveil mobile open-sandbox game LEGO Cube for China
The open-sandbox game is set for release late 2018
Signed Up
Scottish developer Outplay snags Crackdown creator for VP of operations role
Phil Wilson will be tasked with evolving Outplay’s live ops production processes and technology
Fore
Playdemic's Golf Clash drives past $225m in revenue
The sports game landed $25m in revenue last month
Stuck The Landing
Tencent’s PUBG Mobile glides past the $75m mark in revenue despite China roadblocks
$25m of that has come in the last 31 days
Switching It Up
The good, the bad and the ugly of Nintendo’s Online Service
From cloud saves to NES games, we run the rule on some new features
Home Comforts
Tencent’s Honor of Kings rakes in over $3.5 billion in global revenue
China makes up 96 per cent of the total
Job News Klaxon
Nordisk Film Games eyes further investments as it snaps up new director of partnerships
Sofie Filt Læntver will enter the fray on October 1st
Of Kings And Valour
From esports to Nintendo Switch: Tencent on its ambitions to grow Arena of Valor in the West
“The console space is an exciting one for us, and there really hasn’t been a big mobile game on the Switch device yet”
Retired
Disney to shut down Star Wars: Rivals mobile game
The cover-based shooter had been in soft launch since June of last year
Hot Five
Supercell on why cell structure is super, Subway Surfers hits 52.5m downloads in June, and Mobile Strike grabs $1 billion
The past weeks hottest articles
Switch Up
Players will need to sign up to Nintendo Switch Online for cloud saves
Service will go live September 18th and will cost $3.99 a month, $7.99 for three months or $19.99 for 12
Jobs In Games
From the world's top Clash of Clans player to game dev: Space Ape's George Yao on getting a job as a product manager
"It all boils down to personal attitude and the desire to learn."
Pocketed
Miniclip pockets over $400 million from 8 Ball Pool on mobile
Lifetime installs more than 80 million
Off The Blockchain
Cocos-BCX raises $40m in funding to accelerate development of blockchain games platform
Funding led by Binance Labs, NEO Global Capital, 500 Startups, among others