M&a
Pole to Win snaps up co-development studio Ghostpunch Games for $13 million
Florida-based company has worked across platforms with partners such as EA, Gearbox Software, Bethesda Game Studios and 2K
Engaging Audiences
How to engage with a broader audience in today’s tougher games climate
Proxima AI’s CEO Alex Song on how developers should adapt to market changes and the increasing role of social media
Ai Impact
Xsolla's Chris Hewish on the impact of AI for creative workflows
“To ensure that real creative jobs aren’t lost it’s important to establish measures that balance AI integration with human oversight”
Legal Advice
The EU’s AI Act: What does it mean for game developers?
The act - in place since 1st August 2024 - is designed to ensure safety and transparency, but with that responsibility comes the necessity for careful compliance
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
Proof Is In The Profit
Web3 tech firm Improbable makes its first profit after metaverse pivot
The company shifted focus to the metaverse in 2022, and achieved its first ever annual profit in 2023
Podcast | Episode 23
Market intelligence challenges, and performers strike against AI | 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 23...
Week That Was
Scrapped games, big names, and the humans Vs AI war gets real | Week in Views
The Pocketgamer.biz team pick their highlights from the headlines this week and deliver the stories behind the stories
Independent Ai
Mark Zuckerberg: “Nah, f*ck that”. Meta’s mouthpiece still isn’t a fan of closed platforms
Try to tell Zuck what game to play and he’s going to take his ball home
Microsoft's Mobile Mystery
Microsoft made $88 billion profit in FY2024 thanks to Activision Blizzard boost
Xbox revenue was up 61% in Q4 2024, but mobile specific figures remain a mystery
This Means War
SAG-AFTRA takes the AI war to the next level with games industry strikes
From tomorrow 10 big names in games will see picket lines protesting the use of AI to replace human talent in games
Ai Acquisition
GiantX acquires League of Legends AI coaching app maker iTero Gaming
The app, launched in late 2022, has been downloaded almost 250,000 times
Funding Round
Artificial intelligence tools creator X&Immersion raises €1.1 million in funding
The funds will go toward international grown and a new AI content creation platform
Early Echo
Echo Chess maker Echo Chunk raises $1.4 million in pre-seed round with a "passion" for AI
Participants include Andreessen Horowitz, Zynga’s Mark Pincus, Opendoor’s Eric Wu, and Roblox’s Stef Corazza
Finding Funds
Former Zen Match devs raise $3m in pre-seed funding round for new studio Grand Games
Developer has already soft-launched Magic Sort and is set to release Car Match later this month
Transforming Trends
Live ops, hypercasual and artificial intelligence: Keeping up with the trends in 2024
The games industry moves fast, but brand collabs can still be the way to go with careful planning
Tech Takeover
Choices: Stories You Play dev Pixelberry Games acquired by AI-based Series Entertainment
The company's acquisition will see "cutting-edge technology" brought to the Choices: Stories You Play series
Week That Was
Week in Views - Apple's gateway price cuts, World of Tanks crazy crossovers, and who needs game devs anyway?
The Pocketgamer.biz team pick their highlights from the headlines this week and deliver the stories behind the stories
Nintendo Know-how
Nintendo doesn’t trust AI to make its games
President Shuntaro Furukawa would rather keep making games the Nintendo way rather than hand the reins to AI
Podcast | Episode 18
The EU's App Store crackdown and Square Enix's buzzword bingo | 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 18...
Week That Was
Regulation with teeth, Game Freak’s new IP, and Square Enix’s AI backtracking | Week in Views
The Pocketgamer.biz team pick their highlights from the headlines this week and deliver the stories behind the stories
Tough Talk
EU: Apple not launching AI iPhone features a "stunning declaration" that it's "disabling competition"
The latest spat between Apple and the European Commission centres on the tech giant's unwillingness to launch Apple Intelligence features in the region
4d Future
Roblox looks towards "4D generative AI" future
UGC platform creator opens up on its AI plans
Ai Approach
Square Enix still sees "tremendous potential" in AI but is wary of the "many risks involved"
CEO Takashi Kiryu has spelled out a more risk-averse approach to AI in the latest shareholders' meeting
Finding Funds
Brainspark Games raises £1.4 million towards building educational AI mobile games
The funding comes from its seventh Innovate UK Investor Partnership grant and a match-funded angel investment
Podcast | Episode 16
Stop sexist UA ads, and is Netflix's games division falling off the rails? | 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 16...
Advancing Ai
King’s head of AI/ML Luka Crnkovic-Friis: "The changes are immense, fundamental, and very hard to predict"
Luka Crnkovic-Friis’ work in AI has been utilised by Harvard, NASA, and now it's behind the scenes at King
Everybody Loves Ai
Apple joins generative AI revolution with Apple Intelligence and ChatGPT support
New AI tools will be available in iOS 18, iPadOS 18 and MacOS Sequoia
What Investors Want
"Half of investment is going into AI"
Goodbody's Patrick O'Donnell and JKL Capital's Peter Tsang discuss the latest investment trends
Advanced Ai Advertising
SocialPeta's evolution: advancing mobile game advertising with AI, Apple Search Ads, and STEAM game insights
Find out more about SocialPeta's new enhanced features and capabilities before the company's appearance at Gamesforum Hamburg
Podcast | Episode 11
Xbox in turmoil, Krafton champions AI development, and Apple's iPad challenge | 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 11…
Funding News
Yellow raises $5 million to fuel AI-powered 3D modeling tool
The start-up believes YellowSculpt “is a testament to what modern AI can achieve"
Artificial Artistry
Krafton teases AI-developed games as "limited" voice actors, writers, and level designers get the boot
At least four new AI-derived games are on the way as Krafton seeks greater affordability and efficiency
Week That Was
Week in Views - Apple back themselves bigstyle, Clash bags Haaland and dreams come true at King
The Pocketgamer.biz team pick their highlights from the headlines this week and deliver the stories behind the stories
Five New Games
New release roundup: The best new mobile games from the morality of AI to Dadish’s 3D journey
We highlight five new games that have broken cover and are all set to do big business
Voop Feedback
Revolutionising feedback: Pocket Gamer Connects partners with AI-powered tool Voop
Interview: industry veteran Geoff Glendenning on the AI startup that'll help gamers and event attendees share instant feedback
Neural Networks Now
AI everywhere: Using neural networks for asset creation, marketing and more
Playkot’s marketing production lead, Igor Mosin shares how neural networks have sped up the creative process and increased marketing success
Ai Ambitions
“We’re making it so anyone can create anything on Roblox. The only limit is their own creativity”
Roblox’s Morgan McGuire shares on leading the platforms AI ambitions to bring new levels of productivity and creativity to users
King Of King
Tjodolf Sommestad talks AI, tips for indie devs, and a day in the life of King's president
It's all about "collaboration, curiosity, and transparency." Plus plenty of data-driven decisions
Top Topics
10 games industry questions answered: From AI and alternative app stores to layoffs and more
Omdia's analysts and researchers spill the truth on the industry’s key topics, including post-pandemic recalibrations and the "ballooning development costs" of triple-A games
Dubai Gamexpo Summit 2023
Super Evil Megacorp’s Taewon Yun: "Gen AI is like a goldmine surrounded by a minefield"
Super Evil Megacorp chief business officer Taewon Yun’s talk at Dubai GameExpo Summit 2023 powered by PG Connects focused around AI and Web3
Gdc Takeaways
5 takeaways from GDC 2024: The games industry reckons with key challenges, Godot competes with Unity, and AI was the big trend without the big announcements
Meanwhile, the big news came from outside the house, and UGC is no longer flying under the radar - but it's not sky high either
Ai Law
Copyright doesn’t exist for generative AI-created content in the US but it remains the "Wild West"
Lee & Hayes attorney Ethan Vodde discusses where things stand for copyright and why court cases are needed to develop the law
Roblox Ramps Up
Roblox’s Avatar Auto Setup and Texture Generator are the latest AI tools for the 3D space
Roblox reveals two AI-powered tools at GDC
Powering Prototypes
Game development time slowed in 2023 despite AI tech, but 71% celebrate its strengths
Unity’s Gaming Report 2024 reveals a slowdown from 218 days to 304 in average development
Speaker Spotlight
Ludo.ai CEO Tom Pigott to share insights on practical uses for AI in game development at PGC San Francisco
Pigott will take part in a fireside chat entitled 'How AI is Shaking up Game Development in 2024'.
Ai-fuelled Tools
UG Labs secures $7 million to create games from speech
The company aims to facilitate open-ended AI-powered conversations that can create games and enhance gameplay
Deconstructing The Future
Deconstructor of Fun's 2024 predictions: AI transforms the games industry, DMA will make Apple bleed, and UA recovers
Eric Kress and Michail Katkoff share their views on where the games industry is headed in 2024
The Web3 Way
Gamer Arena nets investment into Web3, AI and esports ambitions
Dutch VC fund Domino Ventures has invested an undisclosed sum into the competitive platform
Week That Was
Week in Views - Apple impatience, Unity mismanagement and Sony surprises
The Pocketgamer.biz team pick their highlights from the headlines this week and deliver the stories behind the stories