Disunity
Unity take to X to clarify new runtime fees, but fails to stem the tide of discontent
Strong words from all corners of the industry continue to flow in
Closures
Hungry Shark developers Ubisoft London to close
The studio - formerly Future Games of London - was acquired by Ubisoft in 2013
Survey Signs
Half of all game development could be done by AI within 10 years
Bain & Company survey gives insight into current developer mindsets when it comes to generative AI
Unity Runtime Fee
Unity's CEO John Riccitiello sold shares a week before their pricing bombshell
Meanwhile Unity's Runtime Fee is starting to look like the bold, unpopular move that they had to make
Blue Protocol
Tencent reportedly adapting Bandai Namco’s Blue Protocol for mobile
The upcoming title is anticipated to be a smash hit
Job News
Lisa Bridgett steps down from role as DREST CEO
Former CEO Lucy Yeomans will reassume her role during the transition period
Partnership
PlanetPlay and Lockwood Publishing collaborate for an eco-friendly metaverse
The partnership aims to inspire climate conscious behaviour in Avakin Life players
Chips With Everything
Chip pioneer Arm reaches $54 billion valuation
The long-awaited initial public offering for the company that made mobile computing explode has been set at $51 per share
Square Deal
Square Enix shares drop 30% after lacklustre Final Fantasy roll-out
Is there such a thing as spinning a franchise too far? Square Enix may have just found out
Pgc Helsinki 2023
Major growth ahead for the African mobile games market
Carry1st's Mahmoud El-Azzeh on the potential and challenges of the African mobile games market and its place in the next decade
The Hunt Is Here
Niantic and Capcom's Monster Hunter Now launches with three million pre-registrations
The game is now available globally as players get to experience its unique take on a stamina system…
Podcast
Hot gaming trends and ad formats that are losing steam | Podcast
data.ai's Lexi Sydow dives into the data expert's latest report and explores the key tech, trends, spends and changes driving mobile games in 2023 with your hosts Peggy and Brian
Pgc Helsinki 2023
Satu Ahlman on creating high performance teams while avoiding burnout
"Reaching high levels of individual or organizational performance is NOT just about action and grinding."
Pgc Helsinki 2023
Designing core gameplay loops with Crosshatch Games’ Dave Cross
Finding success and learning from failure while developing of the perfect gameplay loop at Pocket Gamer Connects Helsinki 2023
Mythic Manoeuvres
Mythic Protocol raises $6.5M towards blockchain, collaboration and cross-platform ambitions
Founder Igor Tanzil wants to avoid the trap of "squandered" potential by "frenzied financialisation"
Guest Post
Why In-App, not MFA, is the advertising solution made for advertisers
Mintegral GM for the Americas Jeff Sue discusses the issue of made for advertising websites
Pgc Helsinki 2023
The pros and pitfalls of co-development: "Symmetry is the key."
Our day-two panelists took a deep dive into the topic of co-development for teams
Chinese Market
Which games ruled the Chinese market in August?
More than fifty new games were released in the world’s biggest mobile gaming market over the month
Playcon 2023
Don’t miss Playcon 2023, Malta’s largest video games expo
Playcon 2023 is less than 100 days away. Find out more and get your tickets here
New Release
Backbone announces universal USB-C compatibility for future joypad models
The gaming peripheral is hoping to break barriers in mobile gaming
Pgc Helsinki 2023
Gaming legend Kevin Toms on bringing back Football Manager for mobile
The veteran game developer talked about the two new takes on his classic football management sim
Pgc Helsinki 2023
Rise & Play’s Sophie Vo: “70% of post-merger integrations fall short of realising their intended value.”
The Rise & Play founder spoke at Pocket Gamer Connects Helsinki 2023 about cultural changes for studios after mergers and acquisitions.
Unity Runtime Fee
Unity Runtime Fee: "Isn't it hard enough already?" The industry speaks out
The introduction of upfront fees per install for any game made with Unity's tools has left many contemplating their future with the platform. Here are some of the comments so far…
Unity Runtime Fee
Unity's big cash grab: Unity Runtime Fee explained, what it could mean, and how you can dodge it
Unity developers were delivered a bombshell new set of tiers and costs last night. Here's the long and short of what's happening
Iphone 15 Reveal
“iPhone is the best mobile gaming platform in the world”
So says Apple’s senior vice president of worldwide marketing Greg Joswiak as he turns to gaming to show off the real power of iPhone 15 Pro
Unity Fees
Unity to charge for installs with new Unity Runtime Fee
Major pivot: devs that pass $200k in revenue and 200k installs will be on the hook for the new fees
Seven Knights Success
Netmarble strikes back with a sudden surge in share value
Seven Knights Idle Adventure helps turn things around for the developer
European Market
The European mobile gaming market's big winners for August
Royal Match takes the downloads throne on Google Play, while Monopoly GO! Continues its strong run on iOS
Millions And Millions
Brave Nine successor Brown Dust 2 earns $10 million in two months
GempsN and Neowiz’s new game has generated 80% of its revenue in Asia
Pgc Helsinki 2023
How to showcase your game at Pocket Gamer Connects
Not a Cult Oy’s Walkscape is one of many games being showcased and finding fans at Pocket Gamer Connects Helsinki
Pgc Helsinki 2023
Lawyer Tuomas Pelkonen takes on loot boxes and the law
Live at PGC Helsinki, the attorney describes how the use of loot boxes highlights a wider issue of compliance in gaming
World Record
Sky: Children of Light sets two new world records with in-game Aurora concert
The in-game concert drew 10,061 simultaneous players
Dino Designs
Zynga, FunPlus and NetEase veterans receive $8M investment for NFT dinosaur game
New studio GamePhilos gets support from Xterio, Animoca Ventures, SevenX Ventures and Chain Hill Capital
Ahead In The Cloud
Is Netflix set to dominate the cloud gaming market?
The company is well positioned to play a major role in the future of cloud gaming
Industry Insight
China dominates among the top 100 global mobile publishers
40 of the top 100 publishers in August 2023 were from China - three more than in July
Pgc Helsinki 2023
Juhani Tuomas Honkala: “Mobile is the ultimate controller for the TV gaming experience”
Return Entertainment's CTO took to the stage today at Pocket Gamer Connects Helsinki 2023 to discuss the potential of gaming on TVs
Japan's Genres
RPG, adventure or Waifu? Which genre has made Japan's players the most monetised?
So far, revenue from in-app purchases has surpassed $9 billion in Japan this year
Pgc Helsinki 2023
Božo Janković on the rapid changes in ad monetisation: “Developers should prepare for these changes now"
As head of monetisation at GameBiz Consulting, Janković’s talk at PGC Helsinki gave developers practical insight and tips to improve ad monetisation
Pgc Helsinki 2023
Teemu Haila of Metaplay: “When shipping modern F2P games, hope is not a plan.”
The co-founder of Metaplay was at Pocket Gamer Connects Helsinki discussing the art of planning for the future
Install Incentives
Monster Hunter Now reaches three million pre-installs days before launch
There are now three million hunters of monsters waiting for launch
Making A Metaverse
Animoca Brands raises $20 million towards a new metaverse project
Mocaverse will allow Moca ID collectors to build up loyalty points and more
Pgc Helsinki
Davy Chadwick on the true potential of generative AI
Pocket Gamer Connects Helsinki takes place on September 12 - 13. We catch up with some of the stars from the mobile industry who'll be taking part
Layoffs
Sensor Tower lays off 40 staff, including prominent executives
The company is the latest in the mobile sector to announce layoffs
Indian Increase
Nazara to expand after latest $49M investment
The Indian platform reaches $660M valuation thanks to latest investment from SBI Mutual Fund
Igda Leadership Day
JJ Häll on the IGDA’s role in the Finnish games industry
Live from Helsinki: The Finnish IGDA chairman spoke at their Leadership Day
Igda Leadership Day
Wanda O Rly talks stakeholder management
The Psyon Games COO took to the stage today at IGDA Leadership Day in Helsinki
Igda Leadership Day
IGDA’s Christopher Hamilton: "The community here is just very special and truly amazing"
At IGDA’s Leadership Day Finland’s finest come together to discuss leadership in games
Supply And Demand
Are today's developers being held back by a global talent shortage?
The 2023 State of Game Development & Design Report reveals challenges facing developers today
Vikings Unleashed
Vikings: Valhalla mobile adaptation launches as a Netflix exclusive
With playable characters from the hit TV show, fans have a new game to keep them busy in the wait for Season 3
Success In China
The Chinese mobile game markets generated $3 billion in July 2023
The sector saw a 50% year-on-year increase in revenue