Mobile Dominance
The record for weekly mobile game downloads has been broken during the coronavirus outbreak
New record is 1.2 billion
Find Your Funding
Investor Connector returns at Pocket Gamer Connects Digital #2 - sign-ups close May 31st
The ever-popular investor matchmaking event goes online next month, sign up now!
Covid-19 Strikes Again
BlizzCon 2020 cancelled, digital event expected for early 2021
"We're feeling deeply disappointed about this decision"
What Is Reality?
Pokemon GO rolls out "Reality Blending" AR functionality to limited devices
PokeStop scanning also made available to help map the in-game world
Discount Ends
LAST CHANCE to save on tickets for Pocket Gamer Connects Digital #2
Mid-Term discounts for next month’s B2B conference end at midnight TONIGHT - book now!
Talking Heads
Unity, Microsoft, Crazy Labs and Bidstack confirmed to speak at Pocket Gamer Connects Digital #2
With our second online-only conference only two weeks away, the speaker roster is nearing its final form. Read on to see who you’ll be learning from next month
Helping Out
IGDA launches Indie Collective group to aid smaller studios
"As an indie developer, it can be difficult to navigate all of the challenges a development team faces"
17% Overall Growth
SuperData: Games spending cracks $10.5 billion in April, mobile up 14%
Kongregate's Peacekeeper earns highest-grossing title for the month
Scrabble Go Success
Interview: Why Scopely and PierPlay spent three years perfecting Scrabble GO
Speaking with PierPlay CEO Lorenzo Nuvoletta about the game's huge initial success
Indie View
The Big Indie Interviews: Willem Delventhal on making award winning games for cats
What does it take to make a game that's fun for both humans and cats?
Magic Fund
Report: Magic Leap has raised $350 million in funding
Follows layoffs the company announced exactly a month ago
Schedule Revealed
Conference schedule revealed for Pocket Gamer Connects Digital #2
With less than three weeks to go, you can check out what’s happening at next month’s online-only games industry conference
Making Of
Making Of: How A Fold Apart used Lightning Rod Games co-founder Mark Laframboise's own long-distance relationship as its basis
"I was working at Disney Interactive/Playdom in California while my significant other was still living in Ontario, Canada"
Level Up
MeeWow Games and Supergaming gain access to N3twork’s $50 million Scale Partnership
Lucky Star Solitaire and Tap Empire get supercharged
93 In Total
Take-Two Interactive has 21 games "planned specifically" for mobile
Another seven will be launched across all platforms
Full-year Financials
Take-Two Q4 profit rises by 116% due to "people sheltering at home"
Net revenue reaches $3.09 billion for the year
Event
Hyper Casual Game Jam Going Hyper goes online this June
Online event for game developers to create a real game in a team goes live next month
Roundguard
Indie Spotlight: Wonderbelly Games on Apple Arcade and running a studio from home with a child
"I want to continue making games that make people smile, full of love and charm"
North American Growth
Update: Ubisoft game director Scott Warner joins Tencent's TiMi Studios
Will take the role of studio director effective immediately
New Smarts
Blackout Blitz dev Big Run Studios hires Benjamin Jordan as new CTO
Going deeper for underserved audiences
A Good Deed
Playcrafting teams up with Schick Xtreme for charity mobile game
Shave the Day is on iOS and Android
Quest For Gold
Over $100 million has been spent on Oculus Quest content
The hardware was released a year ago
Diamonds Galore
Minecraft exceeds 200 million copies sold worldwide
Mojang's sandbox builder giant averages 126 million monthly users
Event
Navigating the Now: Preparing for the new normal & UKIE Game Showcase goes live next month
UKIE are hosting an online event featuring talks from industry professionals alongside their game showcase event on June 3-4, check it out now!
Jobs In Games
Remote Working: King senior level designer David Briggs on maintaining Candy Crush Jelly Saga in the middle of a pandemic
Discussing the benefits and negatives of running a live ops game from home
Network With Speed
Network with indie developers and top publishers at Pocket Gamer Connects Digital #2. Sign up now!
The popular Publisher SpeedMatch session returns at next month’s online-only B2B games conference
Gotta Wear 'em All
The Pokemon Company teams up with UNIQLO for Pokemon GO t-shirts
Available in-game and real-life
Wild Alpha
League of Legends: Wild Rift enters alpha testing next month
Specs to run the game have increased
Event
Ubisoft, Blockchain Cuties and Reality Gaming Group confirmed to speak at Blockchain Gamer LIVE! Digital #1
Look forward to unmissable content with industry experts from across the globe
What's Next
Performance advertisers, you were made for what's next
AdColony's Liz Waldeck-Pinckert on why mobile advertising will hold strong
New Studio Here
Respawn unveils Apex Legends-focused studio in Canada
Headed up by Henry Lee and Steven Ferreira
Event
NG20 Studio Pack Pass Giveaway
Nordic Game’s free-of-charge NG20 Studio Pack online pass offer for selected developers expires tomorrow, May 20.
Cracking Down
Nintendo files two lawsuits against Switch hackers
"Team Xecuter" face another court case
10 Years On
Opinion: Android has finally reached its tipping point
Baby how you're grown
Better Data
IronSource adds new functionalities to its UA dashboard
"These latest additions to the platform are the first of many steps in our road map to providing our partners with actionable data"
Money Money Money
US games spending achieved an all-time quarterly high in Q1 2020
Market generated $10.83 billion
Social Distancing Measures
Update: Apple set to reopen nearly 100 stores worldwide
"The road back will have its twists and turns"
Next Steps
Apple acquires virtual reality specialist NextVR
Unwilling to discuss its reasons
Rt X Yogscast
Rooster Teeth forms strategic partnership with The Yogscast
The deal will see both media companies collaborate on new content
Support The Indies
Humble Bundle has rebranded its publishing label for indie devs as Humble Games
"We have always been in the business of supporting indie developers"
Allo-homora
Harry Potter: Puzzles & Spells debut trailer glimpses iconic locations
Zynga, Warner Bros. and Portkey Games for a new mobile game based on the Harry Potter license
I'm Ready, I'm Ready
Tilting Point rebrands as free-to-play publisher, launches SpongeBob: Krusty Cook-Off
Company looks to form relationships and work with developers on projects
Building Bank
Fortnite battles its way to $1 billion on mobile in two years
Free-to-play title generated $44.3 million in April alone
Lovin Zone
AppLovin acquires Game of War developer Machine Zone
Mobile marketing firm will be moving in with the developer
Offering Support
App Samurai creates new $250,000 Resilience Grant to support mobile developers
Up to $10,000 will be given to each studio chosen for the grant
Discount Ending
Just one week left to save with our Mid-Term prices for Pocket Gamer Connects Digital #2
Don’t miss out on the chance to save for June’s online only B2B games industry conference before the price goes up next week
10 Years On
56% of iPhone apps sell less than 10,000 copies
It's a topheavy market where less than 10% do 100k+
It's Unreal
Epic Games gives a first look at Unreal Engine 5
It's also launched Epic Online Services
A Good Deed
Riot Games has raised $10 million for its Social Impact Fund so far
"This is a unique philanthropic venture fund"
Rebooted Event
New meeting platform announced for Pocket Gamer Connects Digital #2
Plus extra themed conference, live Discord chat and much more - here’s what’s new and improved for your next online games industry event