Mobile Games Awards
Vote for Best Developer at the Pocket Gamer Mobile Games Awards 2024 in association with Gamelight
Voting ends on July 26th
Smashing Sales Strategies
Super Smash Bros. creator Masahiro Sakurai warns of market research producing "average and mediocre" games
"Targeting isn’t as reliable as people claim, and market research is based on past results"
Podcast
Strengthening ad network bonds for better performance with AdQuantum’s Sergey Sukhov | 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…
Mobile Marketing
Why attribution and marketing mix modelling aren't delivering results for games marketers
Incrmntal CEO and co-founder Maor Sadra delves into the mobile marketing landscape and analyses privacy challenges and solutions for campaigns
Layoffs News
Report: Microsoft shuts down diversity, equity and inclusion team
An internal email alleges that Microsoft executives faced investigations and evidence of discrimination
Privacy Protection
IGDA argues to Supreme Court that trademark address requirements open up devs to potential harassment
Laws around trademark applicants require registrants to provide their home address
Marketing Matters
Nurturing your audience: Mastering organic marketing strategies
Fundamentally Games publishing content manager Stephanie Field offers in-depth advice on making the most of your marketing strategies
Investment News
Dusk secures $8 million to "reimagine" social multiplayer games
The platform aims to simplify building and playing multiplayer games on mobile by using its Dusk SDK
Pgc Helsinki
Schedule overview revealed for PG Connects Helsinki 2024
Two Days, two events, 21 tracks - everything from AI and investment to retention, revenue and web3
Sdk Update
AdInMo launches InGamePlay SDK 3.0 beta with clickable in-game ad units
Monetisation platform aims to drive more intentional clicks with new customisable visual aids
Mobile Games Awards
Vote for Game of the Year at the Pocket Gamer Mobile Games Awards 2024 in association with Gamelight
One week left before voting ends on July 22nd
Mobile Milestone
Wuthering Waves sails past $100 million in under two months
According to AppMagic data, players in Japan have contributed 23% of its mobile earnings thus far
Early Echo
Echo Chess maker Echo Chunk raises $1.4 million in pre-seed round with a "passion" for AI
Participants include Andreessen Horowitz, Zynga’s Mark Pincus, Opendoor’s Eric Wu, and Roblox’s Stef Corazza
Legal Advice
Tax benefits for IT and games developers
Futura Digital co-founder Alexandra Kurdyumova and associate Roman Motorin delve into tax relief options for developers
Advertising Ascent
Global advertising revenue to hit $1 trillion in 2026
PwC projects global in-game advertising will reach $147.9 billion in 2028
Top Dogs
Nominations open for PocketGamer.biz's Top 50 Mobile Game Makers 2024
Let us know who you think should be included and why
Updated Emulation
Nintendo emulator Delta adds iPad support in its latest update
The new update lets users switch between iPhone and iPad
Change Of Heart
Apple approves the first PC emulator on iOS
Apple initially rejected the emulators submissions but weeks later UTM SE is now freely available on iOS, iPadOS, and visionOS
Genre Mastery
Game Analysis: What does Project R.I.S.E mean for Supercell’s action RPG strategy?
Jakub Remiar shares all the details from the pre-alpha test of Project R.I.S.E and how it compares to mo.co and Riftbusters
Rpg Revenue
Zenless Zone Zero surpasses $50 million in 11 days
HoYoverse’s latest launch gets a big start, but revenue is declining
Jobs In Games
Sandsoft appoints Mariana Chucri as VP of finance
"My goal is to help the company meet and exceed its strategic objectives."
Mobile Mavens
Mobile Mavens: Are games able to capitalise on cultural sporting moments?
Our Mavens share their thoughts on how sporting events can benefit the wider games industry
Investment News
Square Enix leads $3.1 million investment round in Soccerverse
The new funds will be used to help accelerate the game's growth
Interview
Naphora Games Group co-founder on incubating developers and why the next generation will focus on smaller teams
"The games market is rapidly changing, with many unpredictable trends, making long-term projects riskier and more costly"
Antitrust Heat
India's antitrust investigation hits Apple for market abuse
Apple has denied wrongdoing stating it's a small player in India as Android devices are more dominant
Hot Five
Super Smash Bros. creator on unpolished games, Zenless Zone Zero hits $25m, and how Rockbite Games survived another day | Hot Five
Our quick-fix roundup of the hottest stories on PocketGamer.biz
Podcast | Episode 20
How to survive to 2025 | 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 20...
Week That Was
Week in Views - Industry survival tactics, bold statements and big brands with big plans
The Pocketgamer.biz team pick their highlights from the headlines this week and deliver the stories behind the stories
Pgc Helsinki
Isabel Davies: EU’s Digital Fitness Fairness Check could cause "big overhauls" in 2025
The regulation of free-to-play is a complex topic due to its ever-changing nature, but next year’s check could really change the game…
Esports On The Rise
Saudi Arabia set to host first Olympic Esports Games
The proposed partnership will span 12 years, with Olympic Esports Games held regularly in events everafter
Only Way Out
Xbox announces price hikes as Game Pass struggles continue
This September, Microsoft will replace its standard subscription tier on Xbox consoles
Cash Injection
Embracer bats its $1.5 billion debt back into 2026 and beyond with new €600m credit deal
The embattled publisher has bought itself more cash and time as it continues to restructure
New Offerings
Stumble Guys' latest update includes new game modes, SpongeBob spin-offs and more
Both features will give players new opportunities to demonstrate their skills and improve progression
New Tools
Roblox launches advanced analytics tools for developers
Developers can now enhance their analytics by adding a few lines of code to unlock new dashboards
Financial Outlook
Goddess of Victory: Nikke propels developer Shift Up to $2.5 billion valuation
The Seoul-based company has just issued and sold nearly 7.3 million shares at 60,000 won each
Web3 Wins
What mobile game makers can learn from web3 and blockchain
Isn't it time that mobile gave web3 a break? Andy Adams, head of business development at Stardust spells out where web3 is winning and where mobile can learn, unite and prosper
Five New Games
New release roundup: The best new mobile games from outmatching monsters to 90s nostalgia
We highlight five new games that have broken cover and are all set to do big business
Pgc Helsinki
The latest speakers announced for PG Connects Helsinki 2024
Just some of the 160+ experts leading our 21-track schedule
Transforming Trends
Live ops, hypercasual and artificial intelligence: Keeping up with the trends in 2024
The games industry moves fast, but brand collabs can still be the way to go with careful planning
Players Assemble
Has your game made the Pocket Gamer People's Choice Award 2024 shortlist?
Get your players to support you by voting before the July 22nd deadline
Token Talk
Animoca Brands keeps the pressure on as co-founder writes web3 ‘explainer' for the industry
Co-founder Yat Sui's guide comes as part of the company's ongoing campaign to maintain growth and prove validity ahead of a rumoured IPO
Nfc Now
Apple to allow third-party 'tap to pay' alternatives in Europe
The European Commission has accepted the tech giant’s offer to enable access to the iPhone's NFC chip at last
Tech Takeover
Choices: Stories You Play dev Pixelberry Games acquired by AI-based Series Entertainment
The company's acquisition will see "cutting-edge technology" brought to the Choices: Stories You Play series
Pgc Helsinki
Save up to £340 – PG Connects Helsinki Early Bird ends TODAY!
Access to the Big Screen Gaming Summit is included with every ticket with PG Connects Helsinki at the core of the week-long Finnish Games Week
Virtually Huge
Web3 does big business as Infinite Reality acquires Landvault in $450 million deal
This latest purchase plus fresh fund raising raises the company’s valuation to $5.1 billion
Masterclass
Announcing the PocketGamer.biz MasterClass Summer 2024 programme
Deep dive learning online for user engagement, retention, monetisation and game economies
Gacha Giants
From Honkai: Star Rail to Wuthering Waves, gacha giants made $357 million in June
The gacha genre was dominated by Eastern developers last month, with the HoYoverse portfolio putting them out on top
Simulation Star
Gakuen Idolmaster got 1.5x Squad Busters’ downloads during its launch month
The idol title earned 40% of Bandai Namco Entertainment’s domestic mobile revenue during the period
Web3 Wellness
Animoca Brands bookings are up 72% in Q1 as recovery from 2023's decline continues
The company saw a 30% fall in bookings in 2023, but has overturned its fortunes so far in 2024
Mena Insight
"To get to any audience you have to be aware of their cultures and Africa is a place of many ancient cultures"
AN Games founder Ahmed Fawzy on the company's work within MENA, new initiatives and future plans