Spreading Sustainability
10 Weeks To Save The Games Industry – Week 5
Matchmade CEO Jiri Kupiainen and GamesForest.Club's Maria Wagner's quest hits Barcelona
Social Media
TikTok leans further into games with UK test of in-app minigames
A number of games have begun to pop up on the TikTok app
Acquivision Blizzard
Microsoft signs deals with Nvidia for Call of Duty on GeForce Now
The company announced the deal at a press briefing to discuss its acquisition of Activision Blizzard
Rumours
Is there a new Nintendo console on the way?
Documents provided to the CMA sparked rumours of potential new handheld or console from the company
New Service
PTW boosts player support with a neural network
Their RESOLVE service aims to cut the cost of mobile app customer support
Roland-garros Tournament
Roland-Garros eSeries prepares to launch qualifiers
The mobile esports tournament offers a share of a 5000 euro prize pool
Releases
Top-down shooter Mighty Doom receives new trailer and release date
The mobile spin-off of ID’s revived, iconic shooter franchise is being developed in-house
Esports
Top five Japanese esports teams all compete on mobile
Mobile has become an increasingly popular presence in the esports scene, and the same is true for Japan
Horrific News
Dead by Daylight Mobile opens for pre-registration ahead of the Next Era of Horror update
The new update features graphical updates and the introduction of long-desired features
Delistings
Rovio Classics: Angry Birds to be delisted
The re-release of the original entry into the Angry Birds franchise will be delisted on the 23rd of February 2023
Uk Mobile Market
UK gaming market declined for the first time in a decade in 2022
Spending on games content and services fell 1.6% to £5.38 billion
Forming A Partnership
WeMade partners with Nine66 to boost reach and develop talent in Saudi Arabia
The partnership represents a commitment to support gaming ecosystems
Financials
Ubisoft bullish on upcoming mobile releases in latest financials
Two big mobile titles are predicted to boost Ubisoft according to latest financial results
Chinese Culture
Tencent and other Chinese gaming companies to help promote Chinese culture
Big name companies are aiming to deliver "broader value"
Scary Stories
Blumhouse gets set to shock with new gaming arm
The horror media specialists have appointed Zach Wood and Don Sechler as president and CFO of Blumhouse Games
Playing For The Planet
In-game climate positive action boosts revenue and engagement
A new report by PlanetPlay shows that environmental content can benefit game makers and the planet
Company Spotlight
Company Spotlight: Dataseat
Find out more about London-based mobile advertising experts Dataseat
Aquiblizz
Microsoft signs ten-year deal with Nintendo for Call of Duty
The agreement, announced by Microsoft's Brad Smith, will see the company commit to providing the game on Nintendo’s platforms
Executives Vs. Employees?
Blizzard Boss Mike Ybarra takes the hardline at latest all-hands meeting
The company has cut profit sharing and mandated employees to return to the office
Industry Insight
Seven ways mobile games can make the most of direct–to-consumer strategies
Xsolla's Chris Hewish explains how mobile studios can make the most of the direct-to-consumer strategies used by major publishers
New Report
The Covid boom in numbers
The pandemic resulted in massive increases in private investments and M&As
Company Spotlight
Company Spotlight: LeanPlum, a CleverTap company
Meet LeanPlum, the California-based marketing automation expert
Working Practices
Sega to increase wages by an average of 30%
The iconic Japanese gaming giant is increasing wages to retain talent
The Death Of Hypercasual?
SayGames shifts focus away from hypercasual games
The company will work on developing hybridcasual games in the future
Releases
Little Big Planet spin-off Ultimate Sackboy is out now on mobile
Sony's endless runner comes to iOS and Android today
New Reports
Embracer Group sees 128% sales increase but hardly any rise from mobile
The Q3 financial report reveals 2% rise in mobile revenue
Investment
Tencent makes investment in fitness gaming platform Quell
The Chinese mobile gaming giant will now be reaching beyond console and PC
Pgc London 2023
The Pocket Gamer Connects Video Vault is now open!
Attendees and now catch up on talks, panels and fireside chats from PGC London 2023
Eyes On Ai
What could generative AI do for Roblox?
Roblox CTO Daniel Sturman envisions a "force multiplier for generative AI"
Africa’s Mobile Boom
Africa poised for explosion in mobile gaming
The continent’s unique place in the market offers wide-ranging opportunities for mobile gaming
Hypercasual Hits
FreePlay doubles downloads in past year to reach one billion installs milestone
Coming from a portfolio of 18 titles
Insights
Flexion's Jens Lauritzson on why you should consider alternative app stores
Alternative app store publishing has been a winning model for companies such as Flexion and their partners
Podcast
Unravelling the alchemy of user acquisition | Podcast
Trailmix’s Philippa Layburn reveals the routes to winning user acquisition strategies and creatives
Acquisitions Abound
Paul Wedgwood’s Supernova Capital acquires Mi-Clos Studio and Little Red Dog Games
Ownership of IPs like Out There and Rogue State included
Level Up
Using artificial intelligence to create video games
ElectricNoir's Nihal Tharoor explains how they've been using artificial intelligence to help create interactive drama games for mobile
Views Week
Week in Views - What caught our editorial eyes in the last seven days
The Pocketgamer.biz team take their pick of this weeks big news to talk AI in games, games going global and the return of much-loved franchises
Success In Investment
2022 was the second best year for gaming investments and M&A ever
1182 transactions were worth a total $51.5 billion
Self-publishing
Robot Teddy brings on Vampire Survivors developer Poncle
Big moves are afoot at Robot Teddy with new team members and valuable signings
Unmissable Sights
Joining us at Pocket Gamer Connects Seattle? View the PG Connects pocket guide to the city’s must-see attractions!
Join us this May 16th - 17th in the Emerald City! You can currently save up to $390 on your conference ticket with our Super Early Bird sale
Releases
Tencent to release Chinese exclusive Honor of Kings in Brazil
The China-only MOBA game is one of a slew of titles now gaining release further afield
Releases
Devil May Cry: Peak of Combat gains worldwide release as Tencent opens up
More Chinese exclusives are getting global releases during a turbulent time for the Chinese game industry
Telling Tales
Telltale continues its rise from the dead with $8 million funding round
The studio was resurrected in 2019, but hasn’t released a new game since
Insights
What’s next for Supercell?
CEO Ilkka Paananen’s recent blog post gives insight into the Finnish hitmaker's plans for 2023 and beyond
Trends 2023
Mobile games industry trends for 2023: Publishing predictions: Part one
MobileGroove's Peggy Anne Salz looks at AAA growth, multiplatform releases and a shift away from hypercasual
Spreading Sustainability
10 Weeks To Save The Games Industry – Week 4
Matchmade CEO Jiri Kupiainen and GamesForest.Club's Maria Wagner's quest continues
Ports
Goddess of Victory: Nikke exceeds 25m downloads prior to PC port
The anime-style shooter will also collaborate with popular series Chainsaw Man
Chinese Gaming Industry
China’s games sales fell 10.33% in 2022
China Audiovisual and Digital Publishing Association has revealed the sector’s struggles
Viral Success
TikTok trend drives Dumb Ways to Die past 100 million lifetime downloads
The company has translated memetic success into record-breaking downloads
Gaming In India
Xbox aiming to bridge the mobile-console gap in India
Microsoft’s gaming arm is hoping to capitalise on both India’s thriving mobile industry and nascent console scene
Huuuge News
Huuuge announces share buyback program
The board has concluded that now is the time to return value to shareholders