China
Tencent and NetEase see non-China mobile game revenue soar 500%
China's biggest publishers look abroad as the nation's market remains unpredictable
Global Charts
Weekly global mobile games charts: Matchington Mansion a new US top 10 grosser as Fortnite and Dokkan Battle dominate
Charts from February 11th to 17th
Interview
How hard is it to bring a PC hit like Human: Fall Flat to smartphones anyway?
We speak to 505 Games’ Steve Woodward and Thomas Rosenthal to find out more about the wobbly platformer’s port
Fiscal
Netease ends 2018 on strong footing with almost $3 billion in Q4 revenue
Lifetime successes and strong newcomers drive Netease to a job well done this year
International
Chinese publisher East2West opens its USA branch in San Francisco
"Our current lineup, which will be announced shortly, is already impressive"
Tencent Rules
Tencent brings in new broadcasting rules to police hurtful content across its products
These updates prohibit discussions or behaviour that could cause offence to the company’s home market of China
$$$
Report: Tencent's 2018 was the firm's best ever for investments
122 of the 700-plus companies the Chinese tech and entertainment giant has invested in worth over $1bn
Game Freeze
China blocks new game approvals again as it strives to clear extensive backlog
As many as 5,000 games could be awaiting the greenlight
Charts
Weekly global mobile games charts: Coin Master overtakes Candy Crush Saga in Great Britain and Ireland for top grossing
Charts from February 4th to February 10th
The Crowd Goes Wild
China officially recognises esports as a profession
Esports professional and operator roles recognised as of January 25th
The Saga Continues
Tencent joins Netmarble consortium in bid for Nexon
Deal could be made official as soon as February 21st
Human Stand Tall
Human: Fall Flat coming to mobile in China as 505 Games partners with X.D. Network
Going back to 505
Keys To Success
How JoyPac delivered a top 10 success in China
China can be tough to break into, yet the right strategy can make it a reality
New Clan
Supercell staffing up China game development studio
CEO Ilkka Paananen discusses his evolving vision for the company
Charts
Weekly global mobile games charts: Coin Master continues to dominate Great Britain and Ireland
Charts from January 28th to February 3rd
Financial Report
Animoca Brands ends a record year with Q4 revenue of $4.6 million
Continued blockchain partnerships and investments secure a strong year for the Chinese publisher
Charts
Weekly global mobile games charts: Western developers find premium success in China
Charts from January 21st to 27th
Charts
Weekly Global Mobile Games Charts: PUBG Mobile breaks into US top 10 grossing slots
Charts from January 14th to 20th
For Sale?
Chinese owner of RuneScape developer Jagex considers sale of RuneScape developer
Company bullish that MMO, mobile and publishing initiatives will continue to fuel further growth despite news
Locked
NetEase is enforcing an 11-hour curfew of mobile gaming for kids
New limits will also severely restrict daily playtime for young children
Charts
Weekly global mobile games charts: King's Candy Crush Saga the top grosser in UK and US
Charts from January 7th to 13th
Eastern Trailblazer
Jeff Lyndon awarded first-ever Eastern Trailblazer accolade at Pocket Gamer Mobile Games Awards
Recognised for a hugely successful career in building companies and bringing the global industry together
Frozen
As many as 6,000 games could be stuck in China's licensing backlog
The waiting list for those titles could be two-years also
Heating Up
China's backlog of new game approvals still holding up Tencent and NetEase
257 titles granted license for release since March 2018
Opportunity Knocks
Century Game: A new opportunity for casual gaming in China and in the West
Publisher looking to collaborate with developers
Charts
Weekly global mobile games charts: Roblox a top grosser in the UK
Charts from December 31st to January 6th
Speaker Spotlight
Speaker Spotlight: NetEase VP Ken Li to discuss publishing in China at PGC London
Pocket Gamer Connects London 2019 will take place on January 21st to 22nd
China
China approves further 84 games as new regulatory body works its way through backlog of thousands
84 new games have passed China’s video game approvals system for the second time since the freeze ended
Charts
Weekly global mobile games charts: Roblox moves up Western download and grossing charts over Christmas
iOS and Android charts from the US, UK and China from for the week of December 24th to 30th
Growth
Square Enix eyes India as part of year of “aggressive” overseas expansion
India and China will play a key role in the Square Enix president’s plans for global growth
Global Charts
Weekly global mobile games charts: Brawl Stars fires into US top 10 download and grossing rankings
Rankings for the week of December 17th to 23rd
Blockade Lifted
China's games market is officially open for business again
First 80 games approved for release in China since end of games freeze
Unstuck
China's big games freeze finally comes to an end after nine months
New licences set to be issued for fresh launches
Court Battle
Qualcomm insists Apple is in breach of Chinese court order it claims prohibits iPhone sales
“Apple’s statements have been deliberate attempts to obfuscate and misdirect”
Global Charts
Weekly global mobile games charts: Lion Studios' Popular Wars lives up to its name around the world
Rankings for the week of December 3rd to 9th
Legal
iPhone XS and XR could be banned in China amid Apple-Qualcomm battle
Though Apple maintains that its handsets are still for sale in the People's Republic
Eastern Stars
Is Supercell's Brawl Stars set to rise in the East rather than the West?
Recent soft launch performance indicates Asia audience preference, but is it enough?
Charts
Weekly global mobile games charts: Kabam’s Marvel Contest of Champions enjoys Western surge in player spending
This week's charts cover the period from November 26th to December 2nd
Is It Over?
China establishes Online Games Ethics Committee as end of games freeze nears
20 reviews have taken place, nine games rejected under new regulations
Moba
NetEase is bringing Super Evil Megacorp’s flagship MOBA Vainglory to China
Mobile-exclusive MOBA is also coming to PC and consoles in 2019
Charts
Weekly global mobile game charts: Ironhides’ Kingdom Rush Vengeance off to strong start in UK, US and China
Covers the period from November 19th to 25th.
Global
Tencent and NetEase saw a 382 per cent increase in international mobile games revenue during 2018
China’s game freeze hasn’t stopped the country’s biggest players going global
Charts
Weekly global mobile game charts: Tencent’s Naruto Online makes a splash in the East
Charts for the week of November 12th
Eastern Promise
Blizzard devs claim Diablo Immortal designed with China in mind
But Blizzard denies this
Charted
Weekly global mobile game charts: Pokemon Go enjoys grossing spike in the West following Pokemon Let's Go launch
The charts from November 5th to 11th
Falling Into Place
Changyou snags licence to bring Tetris mobile games to China
Its first effort, Tetris Journey, is set to land next year on Android and iOS
China
Niko Partners lowers its China game revenue forecasts as new approvals remain frozen
PC and mobile game sales up 11 per cent, but below forecasts
Lukewarm
Tencent’s mobile revenues remain steady in Q3 despite China’s freeze on games licenses
Mobile revenues grew seven per cent year-on-year to $2.8 billion
Global Charts
Weekly global mobile game charts: Old School RuneScape racks up the downloads as Football Manager 2019 strikes gold
Google Play and App Store rankings in the US, Great Britain and Ireland, and China for the week of October 29th to November 4th
Chopping Block
Tencent culls games marketing budget as China’s freeze on the industry continues
Publisher plays conservatively as the block on new game approvals continues