Hot Five
Hot Five: Harry Potter canned, Savvy's Saudi surge, Pokémon turns five and switching roles at miHoYo…
Our quick-fix roundup of the hottest stories on PocketGamer.biz
Podcast | Episode 27
Savvy's MENA investment and Finnish dev Lightneer closes | 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 and what's inside this week's episode 27...
Week That Was
Yalla's Middle East magic, Pokémon perfection and lights out at Lightneer… | Week in Views
The Pocketgamer.biz team pick their highlights from the headlines this week and deliver the stories behind the stories
Mena Market
MENA market hits 7.9 billion downloads and $1.78 billion revenue in H1 2024
PUBG Mobile dominates games downloads and leads in revenue alongside Roblox and Subway Surfers
Casual Games Report
Match-3 downloads are down 23% but Royal Match revenue coins it in
Newcomer Truck Star is the most profitable casual release of H1 2024, generating over $1.2 million in August alone
Change Of Fortune
Tencent and NetEase rethink Japanese strategy with studio closure imminent
The first evidence of the change of heart is the closure of Visions of Mana studio, Ouka Studios just days after the game's launch
Tech On Top In India
Indian Government launches ‘Create in India Challenge' initiative to support creators
The competition features 25 challenges in fields ranging from animation, filmmaking, video games and music
Indie Insights
Incredible Indies: Planting The Green Book for cross-platform pollination
Developer Eugene Lazebny on the challenges of being an indie and how Tapteek’s latest green-fingered project came to life
Expanding Reach
Roblox opens up marketplace for more creators to boost business growth
"Our vision for MarketPlace is that it's a powerful place for creators and brands," said Roblox VP of economy Enrico D'Angelo
Enter Mobile
Bullet hell roguelike Enter the Gungeon heads to mobile in China
X.D. Network set to publish title in the country, over eight years after it was first released
Mena Insight
"The key to infiltrating a market is being able to understand it"
Tafra Games CEO and founder Ziad Elgabaly discusses PC and console expansion, upcoming mobile games and the MENA funding landscape
Five New Games
New release roundup: The best new mobile games from risky roguelikes to engaging elevators
We highlight five new games that have broken cover and are all set to do big business
Masters Monetisation
Pokémon Masters EX turns five: Lessons from an IP and monetisation masterpiece
Half a decade on, as the mobile games industry evolves, so too does the fine art of monetisation…
New Partnerships
Nodwin Gaming pens multi-year partnership with Insider.in for events in India
Insider.in will become Nodwin Gaming's official ticketing partner in India for all key IPs across games
Fashionably Fifth
Infinity Nikki due to launch later this year as series goes cross-platform
Infold Games’ fifth entry in the series will expand from mobile to PC and PlayStation
Rebranding
“We’re one of the only platforms that enables mobile developers to publish their web3 games on app stores”
READYgg recently rebranded to PLAY with a continued focus on bridging the gap between web2 and web3 gaming
Direct To Customer
Aghanim opens Game Hub DTC platform, boasting 200% increases in net revenue
Their new web store tools can - they claim - drive 50% of revenue "off platform", averaging a 14 to 18% switchover on "day one"
Pgc Helsinki
Save up to £170 - PG Connects Helsinki Mid Term offer ends tonight!
Mid Term ticket prices are available until midnight, Thursday August 29th
Podcast
Kelly Kang’s Secret Sauce To Monetise Your Game Like A Boss | Podcast
The PocketGamer.biz podcast team and guests give you the state of play every week. Here's where to get it and what's inside this week's episode…
Double Jump
double jump.tokyo raises $10 million to bolster web3 games development
The Series D funding round was led by SBI Investment
Mena Region
Maysalward partners with NEOM for second annual Game Dev challenge
The second edition will kick off later this year in Riyadh to be followed with a round in Jeddah for the first time
Flagship Fishing
Ten Square Games profits up 22.8% as restructure takes effect
Fishing Clash continues to generate more than half of all net bookings, but Wings of Heroes makes a growing contribution
Game Over
It's lights out at Lightneer as the studio officially announces closure
Rumours have been confirmed in a social media post from Henri Lindman, the company's chairman and CEO
Netflix's Next
Netflix's SpongeBob: Bubble Pop F.U.N is now open for pre-registrations
The game will see players pop bubbles through hundreds of themed levels
Dynamax Debut
Pokémon Go to introduce Dynamax battles after a five-year wait
Previously exclusive to 2019 Switch titles Sword and Shield, Dynamax battles are finally making the move to mobile
Engaging Audiences
How to engage with a broader audience in today’s tougher games climate
Proxima AI’s CEO Alex Song on how developers should adapt to market changes and the increasing role of social media
Funding For Games
Google launches $2 million Indie Games Fund for Latin American studios
Indie game developers who have launched a game on Google Play, PC or console are eligible to apply
Game Closure
Harry Potter: Magic Awakened to shut down in Americas, Europe, and Oceania
Players that already have the game can continue playing until Tuesday, October 29th 2024
Partnership Power
Aghanim forms a strategic partnership with Adyen to deliver high-value payment processing capabilities
Two fintech firms join forces to offer games publishers cost-effective payment systems
Financials
Thunderful has had a "very eventful" 2024 as it seeks to "withdraw its existing financial targets"
The company's latest financials reveal that revenue is down 14.5% year-on-year but their move to a pure-play company is now complete
Jujutsu Out Of Japan
Jujutsu Kaisen Phantom Parade is going global with a 10 million pre-registration goal
SumZap’s mobile RPG launched in Japan in November 2023, and is planned for worldwide release by the end of 2024
Masterclass
Last chance to sign up to the game design for engagement and retention MasterClass
Two-hour online workshop takes place on Wednesday, August 28th and teaches attendees how to building lasting engagement and sustainable retention
Mena Insight
"Our focus is undoubtedly on the Middle East market where we have unique advantages"
Yalla Group president Saifi Ismail on Yalla Ludo's success, MENA games industry growth, localisation challenges and upcoming games
Supercell's Superfest
Supercell to bring Clash of Clans, Clash Royale and Brawl Stars championships together in historic SuperFest
This new event, SuperFest 2024, marks the first time all three games will hold their World Finals together
The Show's Over
335,000 visitors from 120 countries made Gamescom 2024 the biggest ever
310 million digital engagements… 40 million viewers for Opening Night Live… 32,000 trade visitors… We've got all the post-show stats and facts
Anime Appeal
Goddess of Victory: Nikke shifts up Japanese charts with Evangelion crossover
The crossover event generated $1.35 million on mobile on its first day
Mobile Mavens
Mobile Mavens: How to survive to '25: Part two
Our mobile mavens are back to discuss the tough year of 2024 and whether the worst will be over in 2025
New Partnerships
Xsolla partners with Savvy Games Group to grow the MENA games industry
Xsolla will establish a regional headquarters in Riyadh to help MENA developers and publishers grow their games
Hot Five
Hot Five: Squad Busters undergoes radical changes, Apple’s NFC update, and the winners of the Mobile Games Awards 2024 are…
Our quick-fix roundup of the hottest stories on PocketGamer.biz
Mena Region
Savvy Games Group signs Memorandum of Understanding with Niantic for MENA expansion
Savvy will help Niantic establish its regional operations in Saudi Arabia, UAE and Egypt
New Partnerships
Volkswagen partners with AirConsole to bring in-car gaming to its vehicles
In-car gaming, building on existing mobile architecture, is on the rise with more big brands adding it to their cars' nav and entertainment touchscreens
Industry Spotlight
Developer Stories: Zynga’s Katie Ites on getting into games and working on Game of Thrones Legends
In our developer stories series, we highlight the talented team members currently working in the games industry
Podcast | Episode 26
The big stories and trends from Gamescom 2024 | 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 and what's inside this week's episode 26...
Week That Was
Apple play fair, Animal Crossing stops play and Pokémon goes back to basics | Week in Views
The Pocketgamer.biz team pick their highlights from the headlines this week and deliver the stories behind the stories
Pgc Helsinki
The very latest speakers announced for PG Connects Helsinki 2024
Just some of the 160+ EXPERTS leading our 21-TRACK SCHEDULE
Setting The Standard
Metacore celebrates double milestones for Merge Mansion
The game has passed $500 million in lifetime revenue and amassed 55 million app downloads
New Partnerships
Infinix partners with Honor of Kings and MediaTek to boost performance in mobile games
The joint lab's innovations will be integrated into Infinix smartphones going forward
Earnings Report
Mobile titles account for 76.4% of NetEase’s online game revenues in Q2 2024
Online games generated 96.1% of the segment's net revenues
Crushing It
King’s Todd Green on how the Candy Crush Saga has remained on top for 12 years
From the evolution to Candy Crush to the potential of IPs and tournaments we get the latest on one of mobile’s biggest franchises
Mena Market Growth
Sony launches MENA Hero Project incubator program for game developers
Sony is also focused on lowering the barrier of entry for local developers in the MENA region