UK online safety consultation raises questions for games, and Pokémon’s $10bn mobile success | Week in Views
The games industry moves quickly and while stories may come and go there are some that we just can't let go of…
So, to give those particularly thorny topics a further going over we've created a weekly digest where the members of the PocketGamer.biz team share their thoughts and go that little bit deeper on some of the more interesting things that have happened in mobile gaming in the past week.
Paige Cook
UK government opens consultation on social media age restriction, curfews and games crackdown
The UK government is currently considering whether to introduce stricter rules on children’s access to online services, and these online services could also incorporate video games.
The consultation runs until May 26th and is looking at a whole host of aspects, from minimum age requirements and curfews to restrictions on live streaming, push notifications, in-service purchases, and loot boxes.
So while none of these things are confirmed changes, it’s basically a call for evidence. The government didn’t just brand games with a bad name, they did state that they can create positive spaces too and they referenced games like Minecraft and learning games as examples.
But clearly there’s pressure here, and some MPs want full social media-style bans for those under 16. There are questions about whether that could extend to games, since many have social features themselves and it’s also where a lot of that age demographic spends their online time.
This week, we also shared a post from Celia Pontin from Flux Digital Policy, who goes into much more detail about what is actually happening and raises some important points about the biggest risks, such as the potential bans being too wide in scope.
She notes that it’s important to recognise that games are social, but they aren’t social media, so this needs to be made clear to avoid regulations misinterpreting how games actually function. So it’s very important for the games industry to engage with this and explain those key differences.
Aaron Astle
Pokémon Day 2026: Legendaries, legacies and the latest opportunities for a $10.7bn mobile portfolio
It’s been one whole week since Pokémon Day, which means we’re seven days closer to the release of Winds and Waves. Not that I’m counting.
This goliath franchise celebrated its 30th anniversary last Friday, but that doesn’t mean now the celebration is just… over.
Rather, six of Pokémon’s mobile games are making the most of this special occasion with in-game events and promotions, whether that’s a watercolour version of Red appearing in Masters (with a suitably overpowered Pikachu), or Paldea-themed packs of cards in TCG Pocket.
The synchronicity between mobile games is always impressive at this time of year, with various developers from TiMi Studio Group to DeNA orchestrating events that coincide with the anniversary but all doing something unique. If you’re a Sleep enjoyer, you’re probably hunting for Mew. If Cafe Remix is more your style, you’re meeting nine generations of starter Pokémon.
And, when you look at Pokémon’s mobile portfolio holistically, it suddenly becomes clear what a moneymaker this franchise’s games have become even off Nintendo hardware. Sure, Go has always been huge, but combined with the earnings of a gacha, card game, MOBA and more? Suddenly this catalogue’s surpassed $10 billion in lifetime revenue.