India To Implement
India plans to hit online mobile games with 28% tax
There is no distinction being made between games of skill and chance
Global Games Network
ByteBrew achieves 10,000 developers in its first two years
ByteBrew celebrates its second anniversary with the news that over 10,000 developers around the world are now active on its platform.
Reconsidering Remote
Is remote working losing its luster? Michail Katkoff shares thoughts on new survey
Deconstructor of Fun’s survey looks at hybrid and remote working within the games industry
Narrative Design
MAG Interactive's Alice Bowman: "Adding a story to your game can add long term player loyalty"
Mag Interactive product lead Alice Bowman on the risks and rewards of adding a story to your game
Game Design
Charmie Kim: "Inventing the wheel with BeatStar"
Space Ape's Charmie Kim spoke at Develop Brighton on the development process behind BeatStar
Joining In Japan
New studio Denkiworks aims to bring "East meets West" perspective with Project Tanuki
A trio of former Q-Games designers and programmers have formed a new Kyoto-based studio
Making Magic
Harry Potter: Magic Awakened generated $2.3 million in first week of global release
NetEase’s version generated $1.3 million; Warner Bros. Games’ made $1 million
Acquiblizz
California judge denies the FTC’s preliminary injunction against Microsoft
The FTC’s attempts to scupper Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard have hit a roadblock
Mena Is Changing The Game
More than 65% of MENA gaming revenue comes from mobile
Boston Consulting Group’s latest Game Changer report emphasises the growing passion for gaming throughout the region
Launches
How Hi-Rez Studios learned from not launching Rogue Company: Elite
With the game's demise - or at least permanent hold - the lessons learned by Hi-Rez were shared with others
Making Money
From Peak Speed to Honkai: Star Rail – who to watch in the Chinese games market
Sensor Tower’s June report reveals 39 of top 100 global publishers come from China
Design & Retention
Trailmix designer Jade Ostle on how pivoting to story and merge2 boosted Love & Pies to 60% D1 retention
The designer hosted a talk at Develop: Brighton discussing the development of Trailmix's first game
Creatives
Ico Partners' Fanny Moreaux on what makes creative partnerships key to an authentic campaign
It's not just twitch streamers and influencers that developers should be focusing on says ICO Partners' communications manager
Beckoning Blockchain
Mighty Bear Games is swapping blockchain platforms days before new game launch
Mighty Action Heroes to release in open beta on Arbitrum
Development
Rogue Company: Elite’s global launch on indefinite hold
Hi-Rez revealed the news at a talk for Develop: Brighton 2023
No Halo Killer
ID@Xbox's Chris Charla on discoverability and launching into a saturated market
The three day conference opens with a short talk on indie devs from which game makers on all platform can draw insights
Interview
BIG Best Mobile Game award winner Martín Fernández on BIG and the developing Argentinian games space
The indie developer’s title Sequenza won the best mobile game award at the BIG Festival
Prospering Poland
Poland enters top three European countries in games industry workforce size
A new report finds Poland has overtaken Germany in workforce size, though remains behind in revenue
Appsflyer Report
War in Ukraine, Covid, and ATT: Analysing the downturn in the market
AppsFlyer delves into the state of mobile’s unprecedented decline in past years
Stocks
Playtika bounces back as bank upgrades mobile developer from "Underperform" to "Neutral"
The upgraded rating saw a small but noticeable rise in stock price by 4%
Appsflyer Report
Global app install ad spend projected to hit $94.9 billion in 2025
The total represents a rise of 20% from the current figure
Meet Your Next Partner
Network with the best in the business at Pocket Gamer Connects Toronto!
Get to know the companies attending PG Connects Toronto next week, don’t miss your chance to catch up on the latest innovations in the world of games
Niko Partners Report
Five biggest mobile genres of 2022 in MENA and Asian markets revealed: RPG leads the pack
The RPG genre generated 50% more revenue than strategy, MOBA, puzzle, and battle royale games combined
Blockchain
Sega cools off on blockchain gaming after Rovio acquisition
Mobile could be the way forward for the home of the hedgehog
Jobs
Industry Moves: Hirings and Promotions around the Mobile Games Industry; July 10, 2023
Yat Siu joins a crack team of Web3 enthusiasts, CEO of Nine66 goes back to VC and a NetEase vet joins Sega
Mavens
Mobile Mavens: What do app downloads direct from Facebook mean for the industry?
We round up expert industry opinions on the potential of an app store within Facebook
Week That Was
Week in Views - What caught our eyes in the last seven days
The Pocketgamer.biz team take their pick of this weeks big news including the launch of Threads, authorities caught on with their hand in the till and Vision Pro woes…
Netease Lawsuit
NetEase emerges victorious in Onmyoji lawsuit
The court found that the film Soul Gods League of Masters had plagiarised the game
Acquisition
Keesing Media Group acquires casual games developer CoolGames
The two companies will seek to push further into the casual games market
Network Away
Virtual meeting tickets for PG Connects Toronto are available now! Secure yours while you can
Join in meetings remotely at PG Connects Toronto this July 19-20 from wherever you are in the world using your virtual ticket
Last Chance
Grab your ticket to Pocket Gamer Connects Helsinki before midnight on July 13th and save up to £330!
Last chance to use our Early Bird discount and save £330 for our Helsinki conference this September!
New Studio
Tokyo Broadcasting System to start new gaming spin-off TBS Games
The new company will focus on console, PC and mobile
Female Gamers
37% of gamers in Asia are female, with mobile as their preferred platforms
The gender split in the mobile-first SEA region is more even
Stocks
NCSoft stock down 36.6% since January, with further dip after lacklustre pre-reg for Blade & Soul 2
The company has taken big hits in the past year due to slow performance
Threads
Pulling the Threads: Inside social media's latest trend
Meta’s Twitter competitor has launched to great success with over 50 million users so far. But what are its aims and what's its story?
15 Unmissable Tracks
Get the latest in Web3, artificial intelligence and host of future trends at PG Connects Toronto
PG Connects Toronto is happening on July 19th-20th, get an exclusive look at all the amazing content we have lined up for you at the conference
Publishing
Marvel Snap publisher Nuverse announces new title, Bleach: Soul Resonance
The publisher will be tackling another major IP, this time from anime
Feature
Unity's Anna Popereko on monetising strategy games
Discover the mistakes to avoid and opportunities to consider with rewarded videos
Stocks
Embracer Group fixes financial woes with a $182 million share issue
After recent financial surprises, the company has taken corrective measures… leading to a devalued stock price that's 14% down
Anniversaries
Outfit7’s Talking Tom hits its 10 year anniversary this month
The title will be a decade old on July 13
Big Festival
Generative AI in Game Development - How to use it, and where to draw the line…
At BIG Festival, a panel of experts examined the use of artificial intelligence in the game development process
Strategy
Playstation rumoured to be seeking out partnerships in South Korea
Korea is another major hub for mobile despite speculations it is related to the company’s flagship console
Releases
Classic adventure game Monkey Island returns to mobile
The point & click classic adventure series is back with a brand new instalment
Big Festival
Diversity in gaming: The importance of an inclusive workforce
At BIG Festival, a panel of industry experts took to the stage to discuss the importance of a diverse workforce
Celebrating Indies
It's the Indies time to shine at PG Connects Toronto with The Big Indie Zone Audience Choice Award sponsored by ByteBrew!
PG Connects Toronto attendees will vote on the best indie games in the Expo area, join us in celebrating the best in indie talent.
Catappult Smashes Global Records
Catappult achieves record-breaking $7.4m GMV and more than $240 ARPPU
Catappult the alternative mobile games distribution and monetisation platform hits record highs as it helps developers worldwide find new audiences and monetise more effectively.
Big Festival
How using Tencent’s technology can take games to the next level
At BIG Festival, Tencent’s Tom Petreca discussed how the company’s systems can help elevate games
Studios
Plarium co-founder’s WhaleApp startup has raised $50 million and made $80m
Ilya Turpiashvili founded the company after selling Plarium to Aristocrat Leisure
Pokemon Permeates
Pokémon Go is seven years old today… And I'm playing it for the first time…
In time for Pokémon Go’s seventh anniversary I finally give it a try and discover a game that prioritises mobile gaming perfectly
Tiga Awards 2023
It’s time to nominate in the 2023 TIGA Games Industry Awards
We've a date and a new venue for this year's presentation, along with three new categories for 2023