Week In Views
The $17bn D2C market, the Esports World Cup and Pokémon Go's 10th anniversary | Week in Views
The Pocketgamer.biz team pick their highlights from the headlines this week and deliver the stories behind the stories
Staff
Paige Cook
Job Title
Deputy Editor
Contact paige.cook@steelmedianetwork.com
About Paige is the Deputy Editor on PG.biz who, in the past, has worked in games journalism covering new releases, reviews and news. Coming from a multimedia background, she has dabbled in video editing, photography, graphic and web design! If she's not writing about the games industry, she can probably be found working through her ever-growing game backlog or buried in a good book.
Articles by Paige Cook
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Mobile Mavens
"The business logic is understandable. The human cost is devastating": The Mobile Mavens on Xbox's restructuring
The Mobile Mavens discuss the latest on the Xbox reset, what challenges are ahead and why King and Mojang could play a central role in the company’s future
Leadership
Xbox appoints Helen Chiang as first chief operating officer
The appointment comes as Microsoft continues a broader restructuring of its Xbox business
Mobile Mavens
“Players have the right to know what they're buying and how long they'll have it”: The Mobile Mavens on game ownership
The Mobile Mavens discuss game ownership, publisher responsibility and what happens when games reach end of life
Beyond Games
Inside June's Journey's leap from mobile game to bestselling novel with Death Wasn't Invited
Wooga managing director Dennis Korf and author Carlene O'Connor discuss bringing June's Journey into publishing and expanding the game's world beyond mobile
Milestone
A Webbing Journey hits 5 million mobile downloads alongside major content update
The sandbox game has added a fourth level and 10 new quests
Real World Crossover
Clash of Clans brings interactive live experience to San Diego
The interactive attraction will run from July to September and overlap with San Diego Comic-Con
Mobile Mavens
"The question isn't whether it's the right intent, it is whether it will actually work": The Mobile Mavens on the UK's social media ban
The Mobile Mavens discuss the UK's proposed social media ban for under-16's
New Tools
MobyGames launches beta careers platform for games industry workers
The new platform aims to help developers build professional networks and navigate the jobs market
Pride Initiative
Inside Zynga’s Play With Pride initiative and its evolving approach to representation
Chris Garlington discusses how the Play With Pride initiative has grown and become embedded across Zynga’s studios and games
Layoffs
Electronic Arts reportedly hit by further layoffs across support and operations teams
Reports suggest that the cuts have affected customer support, recruitment, trust and safety, and IT roles
Consolidation
Kabam to consolidate Los Angeles office amid reported layoffs
The Marvel Contest of Champions developer says it remains committed to partners and ongoing development
Games Preservation
The European Commission rejects calls to stop publishers from taking games offline
The Commission plans to consult with publishers and consumer on end-of-life standard for video games
Market Revenue
Global Games revenue surpasses $200bn for the first time, mobile generates $113bn
The report shows that mobile generated more than half of all games revenue in 2025
Charity Event
Jingle Jam names eight charity partners ahead of 2026 games fundraiser
The announcement was made during Jingle Jam’s annual awards event
Roblox Fee
Roblox reveals creator fee structure for brand integrations from 2027
The new framework will calculate charges based on audience reach and player location
Esports
Esports Nations Cup 2026 opens ticket sales ahead of debut event
The nation-based esports competition is set to take place in Riyadh across four weeks in November
Unreal Updates
Epic Games outlines its vision for Unreal Engine 6
The next generation of Unreal Engine is currently targeting early access in late 2027
Reinstated
Almedia’s Freecash returns to Apple App Store following removal
The rewarded user acquisition platform is now once again available on both major mobile storefronts
Industry Service
Liz Prince awarded MBE for services to games industry and diversity
The recognition reflects her work in games recruitment as well as her contribution to diversity and inclusion initiatives
Gta Vi Impact
GTA VI launch may affect spending on some mobile game genres
Research from 2000 players found that 29% expect to spend less on games during GTA VI’s launch period
Portfolio Growth
Ninja Kiwi on growing a portfolio beyond its flagship franchise
Ninja Kiwi EVP Barry Petrie discusses Zombie Assault Resurgence and balancing established IPs with new opportunities
New Hire
Appcharge appoints Bernard Kim to advisory board
Former Zynga president and Match Group CEO joins the DTC payments platform as an adviser
Mobile Mavens
“The bigger concern for the industry isn't hardware costs but discoverability and saturation”: The Mobile Mavens on barriers to entry
The Mobile Mavens discuss whether rising hardware costs are making gaming less accessible and why mobile may remain the industry's most affordable entry point
Web Games
Playgama publishes web games market map covering 120+ companies
The map aims to provide a clearer view of the web gaming ecosystem
Policy Change
ESA warns No Fakes Act could create legal uncertainty for the video game industry
The trade body argues that the legislation does not distinguish between harmful deepfakes and legitimate video game characters
Publisher Strategy
“Publishers need to earn their place”: How publishers are redefining their value
Asi Burak and Nikola Cavic discuss how publishers are adapting to a market where developers have more ways than ever to fund and grow their games
Partnership
PlanetPlay and UNICEF launch games initiative to support children
The partnership will begin with a PC games collection before expanding to mobile and console
Market Development
Inside Azerbaijan’s push to build a global games development ecosystem
Rytis Joseph Jan and Shahin Aliyev discuss building and scaling games studios in Azerbaijan’s emerging market
Franchise Expansion
Warner Bros. Games launches Game of Thrones: Dragonfire worldwide on mobile
The free-to-play title arrives on iOS and Android ahead of House of the Dragon Season 3
Roblox Collaboration
Miraculous and Rabbids launch cross-experience Roblox collaboration
The collaboration links three Roblox experiences through a shared narrative
Live Ops Evolution
Why mobile gaming has shifted from a 'core-first' to an 'event-first' model
Rovio’s Anastasiya Kara discusses how live ops continues to be a dominant force in driving long-term mobile success
Ai Strategy
Saga launches AI Labs following blockchain network transition
Saga is prioritising AI products and digital characters following the transfer of its blockchain network operations to Alapin Holdings
Support Programme
Global Game Jam launches micro-missions pilot to connect indie studios with emerging talent
The new programme introduces paid micro-projects across, art, audio and QA to support indie development and early-career experience
D2c Insights
“The future couldn’t be brighter for D2C”: FastSpring’s Chip Thurston on gaming’s changing platform economy
Ahead of Pocket Gamer Connects Barcelona 2026, FastSpring’s head of gaming discusses reshaping D2C strategy for publishers
Hardware Costs
The Steam Deck OLED returns with up to $300 price increase
Valve notes rising memory, storage and broader hardware costs across global markets
Finland Games Strategy
Jyväskylä city forms shared strategy for games sector development
The agreement brings the city, education institutions and Expa together to develop Jyväskylä’s games ecosystem
Mobile Mavens
“Mobile has become too expensive for the old playbook”: The Mobile Mavens on rising barriers to entry
The Mobile Mavens discuss whether mobile gaming is becoming too difficult and expensive for new developers to break into
Fifteen Years On
Inside Scopely's rise to a global mobile games giant
Chief operating officer Eunice Lee discuses 15 years of growth and building long-term live service games
Mobile Mavens
“Burnout is essentially design failure”: The Mobile Mavens weigh in on player burnout
The Mobile Mavens discuss how studios manage player burnout and build long lasting player relationships
Mobile Mavens
“Government support has moved from a nice-to-have benefit to a priority”: The Mobile Mavens on where games studios choose to build
Our Mobile Mavens discuss whether government support has become essential for studios competing in the global games market
Studio Strategy
Supercell president: "If we want to be one of the very best mobile game companies in the world, great live ops isn't enough"
We speak with Sara Bach about Supercell's new and live game challenges, lessons from China and how it's restructuring to adapt to the modern mobile market
Mobile Mavens
“The centre of the game industry isn’t moving from West to East it’s dissolving entirely”: The Mobile Mavens on gaming’s global power shift
Our Mobile Mavens discuss whether power in games is moving from West to East
Mobile Mavens
The Mobile Mavens reflect on Epic Games' latest layoffs
Our Mobile Mavens weigh in on the layoffs and what they mean for the company and future of Fortnite
Mobile Mavens
"This is a fundamental shift in the way that games are rated": The Mobile Mavens on PEGI's new rules
Our Mobile Mavens share their insights on PEGI's updated age rating criteria and what it means for the wider games industry
Acquisitions
ByteDance to sell Moonton to Savvy Games Group in $6bn deal
The move marks another major expansion for Savvy Games Group
Mobile Mavens
“A tale of two halves”: The Mobile Mavens weigh in on GDC 2026
From smaller attendance to a greater focus on meetings and side events, our Mobile Mavens discuss GDC 2026
Fortnite Comeback
Fortnite set to return to Google Play on March 19th
The return follows a long legal battle with Google that saw the title originally removed from the Google Play Store in 2020
Mobile Mavens
“Finally, real evolution in the app store”: The Mobile Mavens weigh in on Google Play changes
Our Mobile Mavens share their insights on the latest Google Play changes and what they could mean for developers and the mobile games industry
Acquisition
NCSoft acquires 70% of JustPlay in $205m deal to expand its games portfolio
The South Korean publisher will strengthen its European presence through the acquisition