Ai Safety
SAG-AFTRA signs interim agreement with 80 games to ensure AI protections
By agreeing to the terms this will ensure that voice talent is appropriately protected
Staff
Isa Muhammad
Job Title
MENA Reporter
About Isa Muhammad is the Lead MENA Reporter at PocketGamer.biz, spearheading the team's Middle East & Africa games coverage. He's been in games media for over seven years and is steadily writing his way to the sharp end of journalism. If he's not reading, playing games or catching up on his favorite TV shows, he's probably writing about them.
Articles by Isa Muhammad
Mena Insight
"Awareness remains one of the biggest challenges in the MENA region"
Classy Games Studios founder Jamie McClenaghan discusses building a team in the UAE and the challenges of operating in an emerging games hub
Partnership Extension
Enthusiast Gaming extends NFL Tuesday Night Gaming partnership for third season
“The sports and gaming communities have become even more interconnected,” said chairman and interim CEO of Enthusiast Gaming Adrian Montgomery
Ai-powered Games
Jabali launches AI game engine Project Makina in closed Beta
Project Makina is a generative AI tool suite designed to simplify the creation and publishing of games
Closure Imminent
Dutch Game Garden is closing after 17 years
"In the coming months, several regular activities, such as the successful Network Lunches, will continue as planned," said managing director JP van Seventer
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
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
New Partnerships
Nazara partners with government of Telangana to launch AI center of excellence
The AI Center will focus on games and digital entertainment to position the company as a leader in the AI-driven space
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
Mena Growth
"Our focus on AI ensures we deliver the best possible experiences in our games"
YallaPlay CEO and founder Kareem Seddik talks localisation, leveraging AI in games and the company's focus on real-time multiplayer titles
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"
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
Market Report
U.S. tops global marketing spend in mobile, parting with $6.6bn on iOS and $5.5bn on Android
Meanwhile the top European markets for marketing spend are the U.K., Germany, and France
Mena Insight
“Hitseeker is a platform that enables Kwalee to publish games with minimal human involvement"
Kwalee's lead technical product manager Waqas Khan on the new Arabic-edition of Hitseeker and its potential to boost the MENA games industry
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
Mena Market
MENA market hits 7.9 billion downloads and $1.78 billion revenue in H1 2024
PUBG Mobile dominates games downloads and leads in revenue alongside Roblox and Subway Surfers
Casual Games Report
Match-3 downloads are down 23% but Royal Match revenue coins it in
Newcomer Truck Star is the most profitable casual release of H1 2024, generating over $1.2 million in August alone
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
Mena Insight
"The key to infiltrating a market is being able to understand it"
Tafra Games CEO and founder Ziad Elgabaly discusses PC and console expansion, upcoming mobile games and the MENA funding landscape
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
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
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
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
Mena Insight
"Our focus is undoubtedly on the Middle East market where we have unique advantages"
Yalla Group president Saifi Ismail on Yalla Ludo's success, MENA games industry growth, localisation challenges and upcoming games
New Partnerships
Xsolla partners with Savvy Games Group to grow the MENA games industry
Xsolla will establish a regional headquarters in Riyadh to help MENA developers and publishers grow their games
Mena Region
Savvy Games Group signs Memorandum of Understanding with Niantic for MENA expansion
Savvy will help Niantic establish its regional operations in Saudi Arabia, UAE and Egypt
New Partnerships
Volkswagen partners with AirConsole to bring in-car gaming to its vehicles
In-car gaming, building on existing mobile architecture, is on the rise with more big brands adding it to their cars' nav and entertainment touchscreens
New Partnerships
Infinix partners with Honor of Kings and MediaTek to boost performance in mobile games
The joint lab's innovations will be integrated into Infinix smartphones going forward
Earnings Report
Mobile titles account for 76.4% of NetEase’s online game revenues in Q2 2024
Online games generated 96.1% of the segment's net revenues
Mena Market Growth
Sony launches MENA Hero Project incubator program for game developers
Sony is also focused on lowering the barrier of entry for local developers in the MENA region
Interview
"When you know Africa and its history it's easy to make a game that will speak to the whole continent"
Masseka Games founder Teddy Kossoko on telling African stories through games and overcoming growth challenges in the region
Bowing To Pressure
Apple roll over and allow EU users to change default browser, delete stock apps and more
“The App Store, Messages, Photos, Camera, and Safari apps will now be deletable for users in the EU"
Improving Engagement
Research finds that app icon optimization can boost user numbers by up to 25%
A SplitMetrics study shows that clear and simple icon backgrounds can boost conversion rates by over 26%
Crossovers
NetEase unveils surprise Lara Croft crossover in Nakara: Bladepoint
The crossover event will see Matari step into the boots of the legendary Lara Croft, star of the Tomb Raider series
New Mobile Studio
Industry Veteran Mohamed El Sheakh launches new MENA mobile company, Games Ventures
The company aims to “build profitable mobile games from the Middle East, for the Middle East and the world"
World Entrepreneurs Day
India’s video games and esports sector powers growth with over 117,000 startups
This growth has made esports and gaming a viable career for both gamers and entrepreneurs
New Game Launch
Monument Valley 3 to launch exclusively on Netflix this December
Netflix members can access the entire Monument Valley collection with no in-app purchases or ads
New Platform
Stumble Guys is now available on Nintendo Switch
The arrival of the game on Switch means it's now available to play on all major platforms across console, mobile, and PC
End Of The Line
Space Ape closes Rival Kingdoms and gives the game a "final farewell"
“All games have a life cycle, and Rival Kingdoms is no exception. The time has come to lay down our swords and staves and allow our kingdoms to rest."
Acqusitions
Virtuos completes acquisition of UK games studio Third Kind Games
All nine Third Kind Games co-founders will continue leading the studio
Contactless Payments
Apple will be unlocking iPhone NFC chips for third-party apps everywhere
After relenting in Europe thanks to the DMA, it now looks like alternative contactless payment options are coming to iPhones everywhere
Funding News
Reforged Labs secures $3.9 million for gaming ads with GenAI
The funding will be used to enhance its AI capabilities and refine its creative and performance models
Interview
"Africa is on track to become a top three market globally for mobile games"
Pan African Gaming Group chairman Jay Shapiro on building a network of game developers and sharing Africa's rich history of stories through games.