Sensor Tower acquires data.ai, Epic Games Store is coming to mobile, and Apple's antitrust woes | Week in Mobile Games podcast

Podcast | Episode 04

Sensor Tower acquires data.ai, Epic Games Store is coming to mobile, and Apple's antitrust woes | 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 04…

5 takeaways from GDC 2024: The games industry reckons with key challenges, Godot competes with Unity, and AI was the big trend without the big announcements

5 takeaways from GDC 2024: The games industry reckons with key challenges, Godot competes with Unity, and AI was the big trend without the big announcements

Meanwhile, the big news came from outside the house, and UGC is no longer flying under the radar - but it's not sky high either

Call of Duty Warzone: Mobile generates $1.4m in first four days

Call of Duty Warzone: Mobile generates $1.4m in first four days

Shooter launched globally on March 21st after racking up more than 50 million pre-registrations

Now.gg hits 100 million users, introduces platform fee of up to 5%

Now.gg hits 100 million users, introduces platform fee of up to 5%

Developers can retain 95% to 100% of their game revenue for a platform fee of 5% for in-game transactions

Hot Five: Epic’s app store plans, Turkey’s tax exemptions, and Call of Duty Warzone: Mobile finally releases globally

Hot Five: Epic’s app store plans, Turkey’s tax exemptions, and Call of Duty Warzone: Mobile finally releases globally

Our quick-fix roundup of the hottest stories on PocketGamer.biz

Unity: “AI is not something that the industry or individuals can ignore. It's going to change game development”

Unity: “AI is not something that the industry or individuals can ignore. It's going to change game development”

Unity’s Marc Whitten and Felix The address AI’s onward march, where the next wave of monetisation lies and Unity’s past “tough year"

America Vs Apple: What's at stake and what could happen next?

America Vs Apple: What's at stake and what could happen next?

The US Department of Justice just dropped a legal bomb that strikes at the heart of Apple's core. Could Apple's walled garden finally come tumbling down?

Week in Views - Apple in the dock, big name buyouts and next gen investment

Week in Views - Apple in the dock, big name buyouts and next gen investment

The Pocketgamer.biz team pick their highlights from the headlines this week and deliver the stories behind the stories

Bidstack's executive team acquires Bidstack Ltd in strategic move

Strategic Acquisition

Bidstack's executive team acquires Bidstack Ltd in strategic move

Founder and CEO James Draper, along with the executive team have become the company's significant majority shareholders

“There’s still misunderstanding and undervaluing of the power of mobile gaming as an advertising channel”

“There’s still misunderstanding and undervaluing of the power of mobile gaming as an advertising channel”

Odeeo CEO Amit Monheit on the advantages in-game audio ads

SYBO appoints Niklas Orup as new Subway Surfers game director

SYBO appoints Niklas Orup as new Subway Surfers game director

He's the new boss of the world's most downloaded endless runner having previously worked at King on titles such as Bubble Witch 3 Saga

Eggy Party sails past 100 million user-generated maps

Eggy Party sails past 100 million user-generated maps

60% of players actively create content, fired up by the game's incentive program.

New release roundup: The best new mobile games from Netflix exclusives to fantasy worlds

New release roundup: The best new mobile games from Netflix exclusives to fantasy worlds

We highlight five new games that have broken cover and are all set to do big business

"Brawl Stars was very much on the edge"

Supercell's Frank Keienburg on how the developer deals with edge cases on metrics, and why the team's belief in a game matter

US files lawsuit against Apple’s

US files lawsuit against Apple’s "monopoly power to extract more money from consumers"

It's happened… Apple is accused of driving up prices, withholding information from developers and more

Marblex partners with CARV to deliver data-driven Web3 experiences

Partnership Power

Marblex partners with CARV to deliver data-driven Web3 experiences

Netmarble’s blockchain company Marblex to be elevated by CARV’s data capabilities

What Epic's State of Unreal 2024 really means for mobile

What Epic's State of Unreal 2024 really means for mobile

Epic's Unreal Engine 5.4 reveal showed only the tip of the iceberg of what Epic are intending to pull off in the coming year

How revenue sharing can support free-to-play

How revenue sharing can support free-to-play

Zebedee’s CSO Ben Cousens discusses how times are changing and how strategies towards monetisation and UA need to change

Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile is out today. Here's everything you need to know

Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile is out today. Here's everything you need to know

It's the biggest mobile launch of the year with over 50 million sign-ups hitting the battlefield from March 21

Roblox’s $35M Creator Fund to support short-form video content

Expanding Experiences

Roblox’s $35M Creator Fund to support short-form video content

Roblox’s fund expands on the types of content supported by its programme, now going beyond gaming

Epic Games Store coming to mobile by end of 2024

Epic Games Store Mobile

Epic Games Store coming to mobile by end of 2024

New marketplace offers 88/12 revenue share, coming to iOS and Android

Investing In Innovation

The Inevitable Games Fund will invest up to $100 million in innovative Web3 games

King River Capital, Immutable, and Polygon Labs join forces to invest in the Web3 sector

Flexion revenue climbs 64% as Epic gives the gaming market a

Flexion Finances

Flexion revenue climbs 64% as Epic gives the gaming market a "boost of confidence"

Distributing Monopoly GO! to alternative app stores was one among many 2023 wins at Flexion

Square Enix steps further into Web3 and NFT gaming with HyperPlay investment

Investment News

Square Enix steps further into Web3 and NFT gaming with HyperPlay investment

While the exact amount of the investment amount remains undisclosed, HyperPlay will use the funds to expand and scale its game store

Monster Hunter Now is actually BEATING Pokémon Go in these key metrics…

Monster Metrics

Monster Hunter Now is actually BEATING Pokémon Go in these key metrics…

Monster Hunter Now may have a smaller audience, but that audience is more monetised

GameAnalytics and Xsolla team up to simplify direct-to-consumer game sales

Strategic Partnerships

GameAnalytics and Xsolla team up to simplify direct-to-consumer game sales

GameAnalytics founder Morten E. Wulff says, "Together, we're setting a new standard for game monetization."

Mobile Movers: All the latest appointments and job moves from around the industry

Mobile Movers: All the latest appointments and job moves from around the industry

Moving and shaking - there's new roles at Supercell, Keywords Studios, Microsoft, Griffin Gaming Partners, AdInMo and The Games Fund

Call of Duty Warzone: Mobile ready for battle with 50 million players on board

Call of Duty Warzone: Mobile ready for battle with 50 million players on board

The latest CoD is ready to drop on March 21 with a record-breaking number of pre-registrations set to make it the biggest mobile launch of the year

Mobile Ad Masterclass: How to select the best ad format for your game

Advertising Advice

Mobile Ad Masterclass: How to select the best ad format for your game

AdQuantum Design’s creative production director Ivan Razmakhov gives his tips on producing mobile game advertising that delivers results

Could jobs platform LinkedIn be on the brink of getting into games?

Could jobs platform LinkedIn be on the brink of getting into games?

LinkedIn is rumoured to be developing on-platform gaming experiences, drawing inspiration from the puzzle craze that propelled games like Wordle

Hybridcasual generates 800% more revenue per user than hypercasual

Hybridcasual generates 800% more revenue per user than hypercasual

Adjust and AppLovin’s The Gaming App Insights Report highlights hybridcasual’s impressive year after analysis of the top 5,000 gaming apps

Game Analysis: Deconstructing Jelly Run 2048 - Boosting rewarded ads and retention with a new meta

Game Analysis: Deconstructing Jelly Run 2048 - Boosting rewarded ads and retention with a new meta

Azur Games producer, Milana Gelmanova breaks down Jelly Run 2048 and how one mechanic worked magic for the game's metrics

Keywords, Active Fence, Take This, and Modulate create Gaming Safety Coalition

Safety & Integrity

Keywords, Active Fence, Take This, and Modulate create Gaming Safety Coalition

Bolstering the safety and integrity of online video game communities.

Dont Miss Dubai

10 reasons to attend gaming's can't-miss networking event in Dubai

From indie showcases to investor meetings, don't miss these unmatched chances to elevate your game

Cloud gaming's Gamestream secures €4.5m in funding to fuel growth

Investment News

Cloud gaming's Gamestream secures €4.5m in funding to fuel growth

Co-founder and president Ivan Lebeau says, "Few people can afford to buy a console, and even fewer can afford games for €70 each."

Turkish game studios don’t pay tax as government supports burgeoning industry

Turkish game studios don’t pay tax as government supports burgeoning industry

Games from Turkiye head of advisory board Tugbek Olek outlines Turkey's tax incentives to support its growing games industry at Pocket Gamer Connects San Francisco

Sandsoft’s CEO David Fernandez Remesal discusses company expansion, growth in the MENA region and beating the stigma of mobile gaming

Sandsoft’s CEO David Fernandez Remesal discusses company expansion, growth in the MENA region and beating the stigma of mobile gaming

“The games industry is the largest and deepest entertainment form, and, as such, we need to do more to be considered in the same way as our counterparts in the larger entertainment industry.”

SuperScale's ebook serves organic growth tips, making mobile games more sustainable

Organic Opportunities

SuperScale's ebook serves organic growth tips, making mobile games more sustainable

Longevity is a rarity in the mobile gaming space with 83% of games not making it to their three year anniversary

Copyright doesn’t exist for generative AI-created content in the US but it remains the

Copyright doesn’t exist for generative AI-created content in the US but it remains the "Wild West"

Lee & Hayes attorney Ethan Vodde discusses where things stand for copyright and why court cases are needed to develop the law

Pocket Gamer Connects San Francisco kicks off two day conference featuring Scopely, Netflix, King, Wizards of the Coast and more!

Pgc San Francisco

Pocket Gamer Connects San Francisco kicks off two day conference featuring Scopely, Netflix, King, Wizards of the Coast and more!

Conference takes place from March 18th to 19th

Roblox Ramps Up

Roblox’s Avatar Auto Setup and Texture Generator are the latest AI tools for the 3D space

Roblox reveals two AI-powered tools at GDC

Multiplatform and multiplayer games overtake single format and single player

Multiplatform Multiplayer

Multiplatform and multiplayer games overtake single format and single player

Unity’s 2024 Gaming Report reveals a rise in multiplatform development and with a focus on multiplayer

Analytics firm Sensor Tower has just bought rival, Data.ai

There Can Be Only One

Analytics firm Sensor Tower has just bought rival, Data.ai

The move essentially gives Sensor Tower a clean sweep in the app analytics space

Huuuge Games' profits up 35.1% in 2023 despite falling revenue and DAU

Huuuge Games' profits up 35.1% in 2023 despite falling revenue and DAU

Revenue was down 11% but cost cutting measures helped Huuuge achieve another year of rising profits

Innogames’ Deniz Kekeç on building long-lasting relationships with narrative marketing | Podcast

Innogames’ Deniz Kekeç on building long-lasting relationships with narrative marketing | 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…

In-app purchases decline but ad revenues is up 26.7% despite falling player retention

Retention Vs Revenue

In-app purchases decline but ad revenues is up 26.7% despite falling player retention

Unity’s 2024 Gaming Report finds retention rates and IAPs are down, but there's still plenty of room to make money

Game development time slowed in 2023 despite AI tech, but 71% celebrate its strengths

Powering Prototypes

Game development time slowed in 2023 despite AI tech, but 71% celebrate its strengths

Unity’s Gaming Report 2024 reveals a slowdown from 218 days to 304 in average development

Mattel’s Mike DeLaet on their big push into games and why the focus is mobile

Mattel’s Mike DeLaet on their big push into games and why the focus is mobile

“We are focused on mobile platforms and will be working very hard to create some of the most entertaining and engaging products on the market.”

Hot Five: Monopoly GO’s next-level UA, Supercell’s psychological analysis, and AI use for NPC dialogue

Hot Five: Monopoly GO’s next-level UA, Supercell’s psychological analysis, and AI use for NPC dialogue

Our quick-fix roundup of the hottest stories on PocketGamer.biz

Open World launches Game Dev Division for market strategies and support

Marketing Strategies

Open World launches Game Dev Division for market strategies and support

CEO Josh Swartz says, “What we ultimately want to do is to offer publishers and studios a turnkey solution."