India Games Industry
Key Indian execs endorse PM Modi's Independence Day games business backing
Modi is also calling for the country to transition from being a games industry consumer to becoming a leading producer
Performance Boost
Using a Multiple Paid Pass to boost player choice, rewards, playtimes and revenue
Gradient Universe founder Oxana Fomina explains how the next step from the familiar Battle Pass could be your next step to improved monetization
Friends In High Places
AltStore PAL goes free thanks to Epic Games' MegaGrant
The grant is to support the development of innovative projects that might lack sufficient funding. Or…
Ready To Play
SuperGaming's battle royale, Indus is now available in open beta
With over 12 million pre-registrations on the Google Play Store, the ‘made-in-India-for-the-world' game is now playable for all players
Developer Tools
Kwalee launches Arabic mobile game publishing platform for MENA developers
Kwalee's Hitseeker will now support Arabic-speaking developers with the tools and resources they need to create games
Five New Games
New release roundup: The best new mobile games from pixel RPGs to… Candy Crush?!
We highlight five new games that have broken cover and are all set to do big business
Mena Market
Saudi Arabia and UAE to propel Gulf region games spending to $3.24 billion by 2028
The KSA alone represented 49.5% of the gulf total revenue and 61.7% of its gamers in 2023
Financials
Embracer's Q1 shows year-on-year revenue drops across mobile, PC, console and more
There's a positive spin buried within… But there's still plenty of tough reading up front
Financials
Applovin's Q2 revenue hits $1.08 billion, up 44% year-on-year with net income skyrocketing 286%
Their AI-powered AXON technology is cited as a key driving force for these latest numbers, with further growth to come
Gamescom Tips
Mobile Mavens: The expert's guide to surviving Gamescom
How to avoid the crush, be at the best party, and make all the best connections. Our Mavens give their tips and tricks for getting the best out of Europe's biggest games show
Finding A Franchise
Mad Crusader to invest in games with "franchise potential" via Game IP Incubation programme
Applications are open for the second batch of the eight-month programme
In-car Gaming
Mattel and AirConsole to showcase UNO Car Party for BMW vehicles
The game will be available on over 500,000 BMW and MINI vehicles through the AirConsole platform
Playing Pokemon
Mobile matters at Pokémon Worlds 2024 as Pokémon Go and Unite players get set to clash
Winning players will win $20,000 each this weekend at a competitive tournament that promises to be the biggest ever
Jobs In Games
FRVR names Quentin Staes-Polet as its new CEO
Staes-Polet has over 25 years of experience from leadership roles at Epic Games, Unity, Take 2 Interactive, and Ankama
More Acquisitions
Keywords spending spree continues with the acquisition of UK dev Wushu Studios
With over 20 such purchases under their belt, fuelling a £2.1 billion valuation, Keywords aren't done with their M&A strategy just yet
Reschedule
Scottish Games Week is hitting the pause button for 2024
The B2B event is no longer taking place this October and will return in 2025 instead
Profit Power
East Side Games turns a profit in Q2 as it moves further out of the red
It's time for a turnaround as the games studio recorded a loss of more than $130,000 in Q2 2023
Xsolla At Gamescom
Xsolla to showcase latest solutions empowering game developers at Gamescom and Devcom 2024
Experience Live Demonstrations of How to Enable Cross Play and Cross Pay Opportunities for Video Games
Distribution Delight
Candy Crush lands on alternative app stores
King’s flagship sweetens Flexion’s distribution portfolio, out now on App Gallery, ONE store and more
Advisory Board
PlanetPlay launches advisory board to drive environmental action in video games
The advisory board includes Niantic CEO John Hanke, Lockwood Publishing CEO Halli Bjornsson and more
Developer Deals
81% of mobile devs are making new games, but 27% say publishers "take more than they give"
Only 39% now see publishers as "necessary" as the landscape changes and deals get tougher
Jobs In Games
Krafton taps Jin Oh as their new chief global publishing officer
Oh will lead Krafton's global publishing and international business operations from September
Earnings Report
Krafton hits $1.04 billion in H1 2024 revenue as PC and mobile lead
Q2 earning increased to $532 million - an 83% increase over Q2 2023 despite a console revenue decline
In-game Events
Maximising success through in-game events mastery
AppQuantum’s Oleg Nalimov shares tips on timing, duration and pauses to get the very best out of your in-game events
Podcast
Taking Snake.io to the next level and building multimedia brands with Kooapps CEO CK Wang | 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…
Afk In Asia
China spends $5.1 million on Lilith's AFK Journey in first five days
The Chinese market is now its second-biggest, accounting for 7% of lifetime revenue in less than a week, despite a four-month lead in the West
Masterclass
TODAY: FREE Webinar - Game Design For Engagement & Retention
The one-hour online session starts at 4pm (UK time) today, Wednesday August 14th
Scaling The Industry
TIGA identifies risk period for UK game start-ups and five tips to scale the industry
Studios with fewer than five staff are highly vulnerable to failure with 50.2% studios failing to grow
Funding
FRVR raises $12.7 million towards AI engine and games democratisation
Iberis Capital led the funding round, while further participation came from Indico Capital Partners, Lince Capital, Hiro Capital and others
Apple Fees
Popular creator's platform Patreon just got hit with Apple's 30% app fees
The fund-raising and small-scale publishing platform beloved of amateur makers had previously dodged Apple's 'app tax'
Gamescom 2024
The Gamescom 2024 party guide: Where to go and when
Making the most of the show - outside the show
Test Of Time
SYBO’s CEO Mathias Gredal Nørvig on Subway Surfers 12 year run
Subway Surfers recently celebrated its 12 year anniversary with a return to its classic look
Jobs In Games
Supercell appoints Gerard Griffin as its new CFO
Griffin will work together with Supercell leadership to grow the company and contribute to business decisions
Mega Mobile Market
Consumer spending in mobile games projected to reach $109.3 billion in 2024 up 3.3% YoY
Aldora’s latest report highlights mobile games as the biggest segment of all interactive entertainment
Milestone
Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery racks up $500 million in revenue
The game was also Jam City's most downloaded game for the first half of 2024
Revenue Arise
Netmarble turns a profit after years in the red, with highest quarterly earnings since IPO
₩782 billion ($570.4 million) in revenue led to ₩162 billion ($118.2 million) net profit
Profit Power
Square Enix’s Q1 profits more than triple despite revenue decline
The company generated ¥69.9 billion in net sales and ¥10.8 billion in profit this Q1
Mobile Mavens
Mobile Mavens: How to survive to '25
Our mobile mavens discuss the tough year of 2024 and whether the worst will be over in 2025
Acqusitions
Krafton acquires Hi-Fi Rush studio Tango Gameworks
The Tango team will now continue developing the Hi-Fi Rush IP and explore future projects
Hot Five
Hot Five: Turkey blocks Roblox, Jam City layoffs, and the sinking of Shipyard Games
Our quick-fix roundup of the hottest stories on PocketGamer.biz
Podcast | Episode 24
The mobile games market grows again, and Turkey bans Roblox | 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 24...
Earnings Report
Take-Two reports $1.34 billion in net revenue teamed with a $262 million net loss
"We expect to achieve sequential increases in net bookings in fiscal 2026 and 2027,” said chairman and CEO Strauss Zelnick
Week That Was
Apple's acquiescence, Google's guilt, and what to expect from Nintendo's S(Wii)tch… | Week in Views
The Pocketgamer.biz team pick their highlights from the headlines this week and deliver the stories behind the stories
New Tech
Heroic Labs launches Satori 2.0 for improved LiveOps and insights
The new update is designed to live operations for game studios and publishers
Funding For Games
Arkadium expands into third-party publishing with $1 million developer fund
The company will provide funding and resources for high-potential browser-based games that can enhance its network
Earnings Report
Nexon hits record Q2 revenue fueled by Dungeon & Fighter Mobile success
Revenue exceeded expectations by reaching ¥122.5 billion a 30% increase year over year
Q2 Financials
Unity CEO Matt Bromberg talks “strengthening the bond with our community” at Q2 financials roll out
As second quarter results exceed guidance for both revenue and EBITDA there are bold plans, shock departures and new appointments at Unity
Canada Expansion
Xsolla opens new office in Montreal
Plans are to hire up to 50 new regional employees over the next two years
Epic Crossovers
Galaxy Quest invades Star Trek via Scopely's Fleet Command mobile game
When worlds collide… The long-awaited, fan-pleasing crossover is finally happening - exclusively on mobile
Netflix Coup
Monument Valley on Netflix breaks cover in Pakistan
As promised, the classic game is on the way to the popular streaming service with Pakistan the first territory to offer it