Tencent Tumble
Tencent's external investments have dropped 87% in two years
From healthcare to AI start-ups, the number of Tencent investments in external companies decreased from 299 in 2021 to just 39 in 2023
Influencer Insider Information
Why you’re not seeing ROI on your influencer campaigns and how to fix them
Future-ready UA strategies: 5 steps to scale ROI on your influencer marketing campaigns
Macrosoft
Microsoft talk AI and topple Apple, making them the world’s biggest public company
Microsoft shares were up 3% last week while Apple’s were down by 3%, enough of a tip to put neck-and-neck Microsoft over the top
Whiteout Wonder
Whiteout Survival surpasses $400 million in 11 months
Century Games’ frosty survival title has slid its way onto nearly 30 million mobile devices
Optimising
How much analysis is too much? The fine art of balancing data and game development
Azur Games Maxim Kozhnov shares valuable insight on how analysts can optimise their workflow
Impressive Performance
Gamelight bags 12% of all match-3 game ad spend worldwide
Data from Singular shows that the platform's AI-powered algorithm is delivering the goods on match-3, despite their presence in only 11 countries
Out Of The Loop
Double Loop may be closing before its first launch but Scopely is taking on its staff
Double Loop has struggled through a "hostile funding and marketing environment" in recent years
Your Virtual Invitation
Can’t join us in London in-person? No problem, join us from your home or office as a virtual attendee!
Book your virtual meeting ticket today and access all the immense value of PG Connects London from wherever you are in the world
Class Confrontation
Into Games is raising £100,000 to take on class disparity in UK games
With working-class jobseekers eight times less likely to get a start in gaming, Into Games wants to make a change
Industry Outlook
2023 saw revenue soar amidst declining downloads with big name games setting the pace
Report from data.ai shows Konami's eFootball 2024 and EA's EA Sports FC 24 dominating the sports genre while Monopoly GO! continues to impress.
Gaming Trends
Monopoly GO! and Roblox impress in the latest mobile games results and trends report
Sensor Tower data also shows that casino games have now emerged as frontrunners, experiencing a consistent YoY increase in in-app purchase bookings
Rallying Relief
Capcom and Square Enix donate millions in relief funds to support victims of Japan earthquake
Donations of ¥120 million and ¥50 million from two of Japan's gaming giants will support victims of the earthquake and rebuilding efforts
Hot Five
Hot Five: Global layoffs continue, playtime rises, and Monster Hunter celebrates 20 years
Our quick-fix roundup of the hottest stories on PocketGamer.biz
Hypercasual Trends
Hypercasual is on the slide but new titles are poised to fight back
AppMagic's hypercasual charts for Q4 2023 shows that downloads are down - 3.2 billion in 2023 versus 3.4 billion in 2022
Week That Was
Week in Views - from Unity 'ripping off the band aid' to SAG-AFTRA's AI rollover. Here's our pick of what's hot
The Pocketgamer.biz team pick their highlights from the headlines this week and deliver the stories behind the stories
Turning The Tide
Did GTA just save Netflix Games? Year on year installs are up 180%
After struggling to find an audience it appears that Netflix' gaming offering is finally starting to deliver the numbers thanks to Grand Theft Auto…
Deep Dive
Game Analysis: Deconstructing Spyke Games' Tile Busters
Belka Games' Irina Kurskaya breaks down Tile Busters, detailing its approach to liveops, monetisation and how it stands out from the crowd
Job Losses
Discord to cut 17% of its workforce
Following four years of success, Discord makes its second round of cuts in five months in order to redress earlier over expansion
Five New Games
New release roundup: The best new mobile games from bopping tank tunes to Chinese martial arts
We highlight five new games that have broken cover and are all set to do big business
Job Losses
Cookie Run maker's Devsisters USA office to remain open despite layoffs
Albert Chung, director of US operations & marketing: "Devsisters USA remains committed to delivering quality entertainment to our fans and community."
Star Stats
2023 saw record highs in time spent on mobile and almost half a million app installs every minute
Here are five key stats to know from data.ai's State of Mobile 2024
Podcast
Games Factory Talents’ Oleg Paliy on how to land your dream job in 2024 | Podcast
The PocketGamer.biz podcast team and guests give you the state of play every week. Here's where to get it and and what's inside this week's episode…
Job Losses
Playtika to cut 300 - 400 more jobs in latest rounds of layoffs
Another 10% of the workforce are set to go following the loss of jobs through 2022 and an unsuccessful attempt to acquire Rovio in 2023
Executive Exit
Unity restructure sees six ironSource co-founders step down
New CEO Jim Whitehurst clears the decks with key ironSource figures moving to non-executive roles while Tomer Bar-Zeev will continue to serve on the Board of Directors
One-stop-shop
Coda and Activision team up for new Call of Duty: Mobile web store
As a way of celebrating the launch, players can enjoy a 50% bonus on COD Points whilst enjoying other giveaways and promotions throughout this year
Job Losses
Cookie Run makers Devsisters shutters US office
Ex-staff take to LinkedIn to share the news of layoffs at the Korean company's US office
Sybo Celebration
Subway Surfers character crafting compo brings winning design in-game for 12th anniversary
Sybo’s endless runner is approaching 12 years, with a Craft-a-Character competition to celebrate
Game Saver
Behind the scenes: How our relaunch reboot reignited Merge Gardens
Futureplay’s Joonas Virtanen discusses the redemption journey that led to the revitalisation of Merge Gardens
The Greatest Genres
RPGs dominate consumer spending, generating 30% of all 2023 mobile game revenue
data.ai’s new report reveals reveals that the genre generated $24.5 billion - a huge 30% of revenues - from only 3% of total game downloads
Regional Revenues
China and US accounted for more than 50% of the $107 billion spent on mobile games in 2023
data.ai’s latest report reveals all about regional revenue and download differences
Strategic Downsizing
Twitch slashes 500 jobs - 35% of its staff - in latest cuts
Despite its widespread popularity, experiencing a surge in users through pandemic lockdowns, Twitch continues to grapple with financial challenges
Ai-powered Games
ArenaX Labs raises $6M for AI-driven game development
The company aims to use gaming as a way of educating players and gain a greater of understanding as to the workings of artificial intelligence
Ai Arrives
SAG-AFTRA actors union signs AI deal, enabling voice replicas in games
The deal with Replica Studios will allow video game studios working with the company to access top SAG-AFTRA talent and use their voices in games
Brand Ability
Cooking Fever’s TGI Fridays crossover reached four million in two weeks
Nordcurrent and TGI Fridays have partnered to bring the restaurant chain in-game for 2024
Monopoly Go, Go, Go!
Monopoly GO! topped 2023 download AND revenue charts in the US
Sensor Tower reveals the top performers of 2023, from mainstays like Pokémon Go to fresh contenders like Block Blast
Monetisation Strategy
Aggressive monetisation isn’t fun for players so here's how to fix things
Midjiwan's Christian Lovstedt discusses how roughshod monetisation methods such as forced ads and tough-to-earn in game currencies are creating a negative experience for players
Ceo Change
WildWorks CEO Clark Stacey steps down after 21 years
WildWorks is best known for 2010 Flash game Animal Jam which has reached 175 million players on browser and mobile
Direct To Consumer
How to choose a web store platform for your mobile game
In 2023, nearly every major mobile games publisher launched a web store - payment and platform expert AppCharge explains why - and how to go about creating your own
Sell Out
ByteDance to quit games? The company is in talks with Tencent over a possible sell off
The owners of TikTok are taking another step away from their gaming concerns with discussions of a possible sale to Tencent now in progress
Streaming Success
Video games dethroned as the UK’s top entertainment sector
Video streaming services such as Netflix have pushed video ahead of gaming in annual UK revenue
Early Bird Ends
Secure your place in San Francisco this March for the industry networking extravaganza!
Don't miss your chance to secure the best deals before prices rise this Thursday for PG Connects San Francisco, get yours before it’s too late
Job Losses
Unity to lay off 1,800 staff as it continues company reset
Redundancies amount to a quarter of its workforce
Second Round
Marvel Snap dev Second Dinner raises $100 million
Studio to invest in Marvel Snap live ops and new game development
Monster Milestone
20 years of Monster Hunter: Capcom celebrates two goliath decades in 2024
From humble origins to worldwide brand, from PS2 tech excitement to 3DS handheld, mobile and more, Monster Hunter has built up quite the legacy these past 20 years
New Launch
Apple Vision Pro - in store and available online from February 2, 2024
Apple's 'next big thing' broke cover in June 2023, now its launch date is set and you've a little less than a month so save up that $3,499…
Power To The People
US iPhone users receive surprise free cash in Apple 'batterygate' law suit success
Users of certain iPhones who signed up to a class action lawsuit have begun getting their share of the winnings, while Apple remains stoically silent
Ai Advances
Harnessing the power of generative AI to turbocharge mobile games
Product Madness chief technology officer Eyal Yaniv explains why game studios should embrace generative AI and how it can be used responsibly to define the future gaming experience
Shiny And Supportive
Pokémon donates ¥50 million to support those impacted by the Noto Peninsula Earthquake
The January 1 earthquake has caused particular damage to Wajima, Suzu and Noto
Next For Netflix
Netflix considers new monetisation tactics for gaming arm
With so small a fraction of Netflix subscribers playing its games, the streaming giant reportedly looks to make more money from its efforts
The Only Way Is Up
Investment in and around the games industry dropped by 79% in 2023
While in America it dropped 86%… But with profits and share prices on the increase, is the scene now set for a bounceback?