In The Clouds
Project xCloud is coming to iOS devices in Spring 2021
It will also enter new markets such as Japan, Brazil, Australia and Mexico
Ad Practices
90% of your players prefer ads over paying - now what?
Four industry execs discuss the best ways to implement rewarded ads
Welcome Aboard
Sega veteran Clark moves from Tencent to Curve Digital
Takes on the CEO position after just a year at the Chinese giant
Money Money Money
Honor of Kings was the top-grossing mobile title in November 2020
Followed by PUBG Mobile and Genshin Impact
Big Year
Consumer spending on mobile hit $112 billion in 2020
$81 billion came from games
Welcome Aboard
Ubisoft hires Raashi Sikka as VP of global diversity and inclusion
"We are committed to making Ubisoft a more inclusive and diverse company"
Podium Finish
Modern Times Group acquires mobile studio Hutch
"Hutch is a true front-runner, responsible for some of the most successful titles in the fast-growing mobile racing category"
Changing Times
Indie Mavens: How will Apple's App Store Small Business Program impact developers?
"Let’s be frank: neither Apple nor Valve provide enough of a service to deserve a 30 per cent cut.
Event
CGC | DAPP takes place tomorrow, make sure you sign up now!
CGC | DAPP is the sixth installment of and a brand-new addition to the vigorous CGC events series which takes place on December 10th to 11th
Let's Get Creative
Facebook Gaming launches Black Gaming Creator Program
To support Black creators on its platform
All The Games
The US games industry accounts for $90.3 billion of economic output
"The statistics in this detailed report reinforce the significant impact video games have on the U.S. economy, including jobs creation and providing family-sustaining wages in wide array of careers"
Indie View
The Big Indie interviews: Smash Head Studio talk standing out in the world of 2D roguelite action games
Akhil Nivarthi discusses coming 3rd at our Big Indie Pitch (Mobile) at Pocket Gamer Connects Digital #3 2020
Tick Tock
Second US Judge protects TikTok from Trump administration
The decision can be appealed on December 14th
Festive
How to create seasonal game promotions your players will love
Gamerefinery's Kalle Heikkinen discusses perfect festive additions
Event Latest
Meet and learn from companies like King, Microsoft, Facebook, DICE and more - here’s what you can expect from Pocket Gamer Connects Digital #5
Europe’s biggest mobile B2B games industry conference kicks off 2021 with a week-long online conference full of talks, pitches and networking
Hutch
Racing ahead: Hutch COO Andy Watson on 2020 successes, future plans, and the importance of community management
PGbiz chats to Hutch COO Andy Watson
Score!
Garena Free Fire partners with Cristiano Ronaldo
"This is a really significant partnership for Free Fire"
Around The World
Google releases Stadia in eight European countries, including Poland and Portugal
"All new Stadia users can also get one free month of Stadia Pro"
Too Much Drift
Nine EU countries team up to investigate Joy-Con drift issues
"We are making the call because we are receiving signals that the Switch is not going to last as long as consumers might expect"
Money Money Money
New studio Core Loop secures $2.4 million
“We want to have something that is easier for players to enjoy and have fun whether they are spenders or not"
Investment
Modern Times Group increases its investment in InnoGames
"We already have a successful long-term relationship with MTG"
Ads Ads Ads
Case study: How in-play ads are helping publishers navigate a post-IDFA era
Admix CEO Samuel Huber on the shake-up that in-game ads are about to see
Better Together
The enduring thematic flexibility of Merge games
Crunching the data with App Annie
Ninten-no
Nintendo puts a stop to Joy-Con charity campaign
"Etikons" were being sold in memory of YouTuber Desmond "Etika" Amofah
You're A Wizard
Wizard Games secures investment from Tencent
The exact figure was not disclosed
Podium Finnish
Chip Ganassi Racing teams up with Skillz for mobile title
“Partnering with Skillz is an amazing opportunity to engage our fans with immersive digital experiences"
Master The Meta
Master the Meta: Bigger Games joins the race for the next puzzle hit
The MTM team discusses Bigger Games and the battle for puzzle prowess
Staying Digital
Epic is not hosting physical Fortnite events next year
"Our priority for any such event is the health and safety of our players and staff"
Your Next Event
Save the date! Pocket Gamer Connects Digital #5 launches February 8-12
Kick off the new year with a bang and don’t miss your chance to connect with the global games industry as we go 100% online once more!
Back On Track
The games market in China is back on track after a quietly impressive 2020
Nativex's Alexander Janssens comments on the resurgence of China's mobile industry
Be Inclusive
Twitch removes "blind playthrough" tag to encourage more inclusive language
"You can still use 'First Playthrough' or opt to use it in combination with 'No Spoilers' for the same sentiment"
Investment
My.Games invests in three more mobile studios
Appyfurious, Purple Games and AppLife
See You In Court
Activision sues Netflix over the "poaching" of CFO Spencer Neumann
This is not the first time Netflix has been sued due to employees
Money Money Money
Bombay secures $1 million in funding from Lumikai
"Lumikai's investment is a great validation for us, given the fund's sector focus and expertise"
Regeneration
Doctor Who: Worlds Apart launches its first digital item sale
Reality Gaming's blockchain project materialises
Most Read
Hot Five: Supercell scraps Hay Day Pop, Bigger Games secures $6 million funding, and King president talks Candy Crush, Crash Bandicoot and 2020
The hottest articles of last week
Bring The War
Sony teams with Epic to bring Kratos to Fortnite
Available on all platforms
Takin' Care Of Business
Mobile Games Jobs Weekly: Kolibri hires new VP of marketing, Phoenix Labs expands, and Salesforce snaps up Slack
The movers, shakers and job opportunities in mobile gaming
Keeping It Casual
Joining mobile’s most exclusive members club
Voodoo senior designer Niek Tuerlings talks hybridcasual, and the games that are crushing it
Farewell
Casey Hudson and Mark Darrah depart BioWare
The duo are the latest high profile departures from the EA studio
Talking Heads
Learn from Ubisoft, Bandai Namco, King and Recontact Games at Pocket Gamer Connects Digital #5
Who’s speaking at the next Pocket Gamer Connects Digital conference? Revealed: the first set of confirmed contributors for your first conference of 2021 (February 8-12)
Money Money Money
Cross-platform modding service Mod.io raises $4m
Firm plans to use this to improve its platform
Splash The Cash
Games acquisitions this year hit a value of $19.24 billion in November
The most expensive was the deal between Microsoft and ZeniMax
Come One Come All
Enrolment begins for Apple's Small Business Program
"Designed to accelerate innovation and help propel your small business forward with the next generation of groundbreaking apps"
Making Of
The adventure of developing Slash Quest for Apple Arcade
"As much as I loved the talent everyone brought to the project, expanding the team was a big challenge to overcome"
Money Money Money
Publishers earning below $1m account for 2% of App Store games revenue
89.8 per cent of companies earn below $100,000
Tick Tock
US government to appeal to ban TikTok will take place on December 14th
It will be able to offer verbal evidence
Behind Bars
Nintendo hacker gets hit with a three-year prison sentence
He was also convicted for child pornography
Live And Kicking
How Animal Restaurant secured 10 million customers
"Our day one retention is around 50 per cent"
Investment
Mixi becomes the latest firm to invest in Genies
"We are looking to build platforms that enrich communication through the power of entertainment and technology"