Twists And Turns
Tag: United Kingdom
Ambitions And Aspirations
"We had no idea what we were doing": Herman Narula on Improbable's early years and its future
Creating A Council
UK Video Games Council establishes to inform and support government policy
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Suites And Services
Keywords’ Liquid Violet expands London studio with new recording and mixing suites
Liquid Violet will now offer end-to-end audio services through a partnership with fellow Keywords subsidiary Laced
Podcast | Episode 58
The UK games industry's £30m boost and Grow a Garden transforms Roblox | 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 what's inside this week's episode 58...
Week In Views
Why government support is key to games industry growth, and Uma Musume: Pretty Derby's global launch | Week in Views
The Pocketgamer.biz team pick their highlights from the headlines this week and deliver the stories behind the stories
Government Support
UK Government launches £30 million Games Growth Package
Investment strategy aims to boost country's games sector and help plug skills gaps
Cross-platform Curve
Nazara acquires UK publisher Curve Games for $28.9m
The deal will see Nazara take 100% ownership of Curve from Catalis Group
Rich List 2025
Playrix, Tripledot and King founders make The Sunday Times Rich List 2025
Playrix's Igor and Dmitry Bukhman were the only mobile game makers in the top 100, ranking 10th overall ahead of King Charles III and former UK prime minster Rishi Sunak
Market Growth
UK video game consumer spending hits £7.6bn
Ukie’s new report found that mobile games grew by 8.1% to £1.7bn in 2024
Finding Funds
UK Games Fund re-opens applications for two funds, offering grants of up to £150,000
The Content Fund offers a maximum £150,000 while the Prototype Fund peaks at £30,000
Leading From London
London is now third-biggest hub for games industry workers worldwide
The city has topped the leaderboard in the UK and Europe with only Los Angeles and San Francisco ahead
Regulations To Watch
Regulatory issues to keep an eye on in the UK and EU
Taylor Wessing associate Laura Craig discusses recent enforcement actions over monetisation in the EU, and evolving regulations in the UK
New Studio
Space Ape vets launch Offroad Games
New studio takes Space Ape-developed titles Chrome Valley Customs and Fastlane: Road to Revenge with it
New Partnerships
Xsolla partners with Ukie to boost UK games industry and support developers
Primary focus is to focus is to improve monetisation and commercialisation strategies
New Studio
Sporty Group opens new games studio in the UK led by Jon Hare
The news follows the company’s acquisition of Tower Studios in April 2024
Gaming Trends
Ukie proposes 53% tax relief for small game studios in the UK
The trade body said reforming the VGEC could generate nearly 6,000 new jobs within five years
Gaming Trends
TIGA pushes for 39% games tax credit in the UK
The trade association said the changes would create jobs and boost investment
Consumer Law
UK government rejects calls to strengthen consumer protections against live service shutdowns
But the government states it "will monitor this issue”
New Studio
NextBeat CEO Simon Hade on spinning out from Space Ape Games and a “music-first” future
The team intends to launch a rock and mental focused rhythm game as well as creating new music games and having a focus on wellness and education
Ecosystem Examination
UK’s CMA to investigate Apple and Google’s mobile ecosystems "in parallel"
These two investigations form the second of three "areas of digital activity" the CMA intends to examine
Pgc London
PGC London 2025 approaches as UK player spending hits record $1bn in single year on mobile
AppMagic data suggests that 2024 was the most lucrative year on record for mobile games in the UK
New Studio
Space Ape exec Simon Hade heads up new spinoff studio NextBeat
New developer takes on Beatstar and Country Star from Space Ape portfolio
Investigation
CMA Investigates Apple and Google’s dominance in UK mobile market
The CMA expects to make a final decision in March 2025
Job Losses
“Majority” of Sharkmob London studio hit by layoffs
Company confirms layoffs as staff say most of the team has been let go
Funds And Finances
Radical Forge raises £2.6m to hire more staff and take on "bigger contracts"
Bright Paw developer receives investment from Mercia Equity Finance’s Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II
Lively Layoffs
Lively Studio undergoes layoffs for the sake of "long-term health"
The Keywords subsidiary will reportedly lay off a small number of people, while sister studio Electric Square remains unaffected
Getting Gaming
BBC Studios hires former Bossa Studios CCO Marina Mello as first global director, gaming and interactive
BBC Studios created a job listing for the role in February 2023, and has finally filled it 16 months later
Latest Lawsuit
Google hit by £13.6 billion lawsuit over alleged "self-preferencing" and anticompetitive behaviour
Ad Tech Collective Action LLP is taking Google to court, though a date has yet to be set
Silicon Sands
Silicon Sands aims to make Blackpool a new centre for tech innovation
A new carbon-friendly data centre could be just the start of new tech opportunities within the UK
Skills Crisis
UK skills crisis prompts call for games industry-led body to tackle key challenges
Report reveals shortages of mid-to-senior level staff and lack of opportunities for junior developers
Loads Of Layoffs
Kwalee layoffs impact up to 10% of workforce, report claims
Kwalee has laid off up to 40 people as industry-wide job cuts continue
Uk Ukie
UK video games market hits £7.82 billion valuation with mobile up 4.5%
Ukie’s Consumer Market Valuation Report reveals the UK games industry saw 4.4% YoY growth in 2023
Pr Power
1SP Agency acquires Renaissance PR for "superagency" status
Renaissance PR founder Stefano Petrullo has worked with gaming names from TiMi Studio to Koei Tecmo
Class Confrontation
Into Games is raising £100,000 to take on class disparity in UK games
With working-class jobseekers eight times less likely to get a start in gaming, Into Games wants to make a change
Streaming Success
Video games dethroned as the UK’s top entertainment sector
Video streaming services such as Netflix have pushed video ahead of gaming in annual UK revenue
Tech Splash
Video games add £1.3 billion to UK economy in "spillover technology"
Ukie and FTI Consulting have partnered for a new report into games tech’s influence on other industries
Taxation Explained
TIGA explains the state of VGEC after UK government’s Autumn Statement
Amendments to draft rules mean companies will be required to disclose connected party transactions when claiming tax relief
Jobs Crisis
Why is the UK games industry struggling to fill vacancies despite mass layoffs?
Games Jobs Live director Colin Macdonald and One Player Mission owner Kim Parker Adcock discuss the sector's leaky bucket problem
Skills Shortage
68% of UK games developers are suffering from skill shortages
TIGA’s new report reveals that most game studio hires are of pre-established industry workers
Uk Acquisitions
BFI: More than 50% of UK games developers are now owned by overseas entities
The US accounts for 49% of overseas transactions followed by China’s 15%
Making Money
The Big Games Industry Employment Survey explores salaries, satisfaction and AI use across Europe
Median salaries across professions reveal today's most lucrative gaming roles
Five New Games
New release roundup: The best new mobile games from time travelling Brits to cat rescuers
We highlight five new games that have broken cover and are all set to do big business
Linking Locations
Kingdom Hearts: Missing Link’s closed beta confirms geolocation gameplay
Square Enix has confirmed an upcoming beta test for iOS, with an Android test to follow
Uk Gaming Scene
Ukie's new manifesto demands an increase in government funding for video games
They claim that the UK’s lack of investment sees it lose out on an estimated £133 million per year
Parental Perception
UK kids are most likely to make in-game purchases, but only 4% spend on loot boxes
Ipsos’ latest report for Video Games Europe finds in-game spending among children is highest in the UK
Teaming Up
Phoenix Games partners with World of Darkness for Vampire: The Masquerade - Clans of London
UK-based Well Played Games will handle development of the collectable card game
Talks
Should you care what the UK government thinks? UKIE's Daniel Wood things you should
More attention equals better support, but far more scrutiny says the UKIE co-CEO
Coming To Kwalee
Kwalee hires Adrian Garton as VP of HR in mission to find the industry’s "best talent"
Garton has more than 25 years’ experience in HR
Event Excitement
Mobile version of World of Tanks is makings its Tankfest debut this week
World of Tanks Blitz is joining the PC version in being featured at the yearly Dorset event