Iwan Morris

Staff

Iwan Morris

Job Title

Staff Writer

Contact iwan.morris@steelmedianetwork.com

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About Iwan is a Cardiff-based freelance writer, who joined the Pocket Gamer Biz site fresh-faced from University before moving to the Pocketgamer.com editorial team in November of 2023.

Articles by Iwan Morris

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Metacore's Teppo Soininen: “Anybody who has put a game into soft launch knows there’s still plenty of space for f*ck ups.”

Road To Helsinki

Metacore's Teppo Soininen: “Anybody who has put a game into soft launch knows there’s still plenty of space for f*ck ups.”

The Metaccore game lead underscores the importance of concept testing in his talk from Pocket Gamer Connects Helsinki 2023

Savvy Games Group: “Approximately 75 percent of our capital allotment has not yet been invested”

January 4, 2024

Savvy Games Group: “Approximately 75 percent of our capital allotment has not yet been invested”

We speak to Savvy Games Group CEO Brian Ward about the accomplishments of the past year, what we can expect to see next from the MENA region and Savvy’s new games ambitions

Dream Games’ Royal Match is top for consumer spend but Monopoly Go sees the biggest increase

October 20, 2023

Dream Games’ Royal Match is top for consumer spend but Monopoly Go sees the biggest increase

Q3 2023 numbers reveal that Scopely’s take on the classic board game has seen a big boost, but Royal Match still reigns supreme

MAG Interactive interim report sees sales slide by 11% quarter-on-quarter

October 19, 2023

MAG Interactive interim report sees sales slide by 11% quarter-on-quarter

Dips in key metrics are consistent with a turbulent year across the industry

Azur Games to acquire portfolio of US hypercasual game publisher Tastypill

October 19, 2023

Azur Games to acquire portfolio of US hypercasual game publisher Tastypill

The publisher’s portfolio boasts more than 1 billion downloads

Apple sacks App Store staff in China over potential deals with game developers

October 19, 2023

Apple sacks App Store staff in China over potential deals with game developers

Free meals, nightclub outings and more were offered to iOS app store staff

Fortnite comes to the Oppo App Market alternative app store in Southeast Asia

October 18, 2023

Alternative App Stores

Fortnite comes to the Oppo App Market alternative app store in Southeast Asia

The legal battle between Epic and Apple have heightened visibility of Apple’s scrupulous fees on their platform

PUBG Mobile to introduce $100 million creator fund for “Wonder Creators Network”

October 18, 2023

Creator Support

PUBG Mobile to introduce $100 million creator fund for “Wonder Creators Network”

PUBG Studios have already invested $200,000 over the past two years

Netflix expands television game streaming beta to the United States

October 18, 2023

Netflix expands television game streaming beta to the United States

The initial beta took place in Canada and the United Kingdom

YouTube celebrity MrBeast teams with Scopely’s Stumble Guys for new collaboration

October 18, 2023

YouTube celebrity MrBeast teams with Scopely’s Stumble Guys for new collaboration

The creator previously worked with Scopely on bringing exclusive levels and cosmetics to the game

As Bethesda veteran Pete Hines makes exit after 24 years, enjoy a brief history of Bethesda on mobile

October 17, 2023

Mobile Milestones

As Bethesda veteran Pete Hines makes exit after 24 years, enjoy a brief history of Bethesda on mobile

Hines tenure saw many of Bethesda’s efforts to break into mobile

South-east Asian mobile gaming market to exceed $7 billion in revenue by 2027

October 17, 2023

South-east Asian mobile gaming market to exceed $7 billion in revenue by 2027

Mobile games remain the dominant part revenue in the region

Supercell to partner with Carry1st for in-game purchase support in Africa

October 17, 2023

Supercell to partner with Carry1st for in-game purchase support in Africa

The Finnish developer’s games will soon support seamless payment in the emerging market

Will Grand Theft Auto be coming to Netflix?

October 17, 2023

Will Grand Theft Auto be coming to Netflix?

There's early evidence and suggestion that Netflix is in discussions with developer Rockstar to secure GTA for their gaming platform

Pole to Win’s SIDE acquires Star Trek: Fleet Command audio studio Vibe Avenue

October 16, 2023

Pole to Win’s SIDE acquires Star Trek: Fleet Command audio studio Vibe Avenue

PTW is a significant force in game localisation and other areas

Matchingham Games wins Rising Star award at the Google App Summit in Dublin

October 16, 2023

Matchingham Games wins Rising Star award at the Google App Summit in Dublin

The award is an endorsement of Matchingham’s rapid rise over the past few years

Monopoly Go developer Scopely estimated to surpass $7bn in lifetime user spend

October 16, 2023

Monopoly Go developer Scopely estimated to surpass $7bn in lifetime user spend

The Monopoly Go developer has earned big bucks from their portfolio

Metacore to acquire Merge Mansion and Clash of Clans animators studio Piñata

October 16, 2023

Metacore to acquire Merge Mansion and Clash of Clans animators studio Piñata

The animation studio is Metacore’s first acquisition and will serve to bolster their creative abilities

Swedish-based Flamebait Games sees pay-to-play mobile title Passepartout receive 100k downloads in China

October 13, 2023

Swedish-based Flamebait Games sees pay-to-play mobile title Passepartout receive 100k downloads in China

The ISBN licence for the game apparently took almost four years

NoxGames’ Hexapolis hits one-million downloads milestone

October 13, 2023

NoxGames’ Hexapolis hits one-million downloads milestone

The turn-based civ-like is an example of a smaller studio finding success even at a turbulent time for games

EA announces turn-based football game for mobile, EA Sports FC Tactical

October 12, 2023

New Announcements

EA announces turn-based football game for mobile, EA Sports FC Tactical

Not an extension or update to EA Sports FC but a whole new strategy football game exclusively on mobile

Game Taco renames itself to WorldWinner after acquisition of trademark

October 12, 2023

Game Taco renames itself to WorldWinner after acquisition of trademark

The original WorldWinner was acquired in 2021 by Game Taco

Team17 cuts are so deep that devs are concerned whether company can still function

October 12, 2023

Team17 cuts are so deep that devs are concerned whether company can still function

A third of the company’s workforce may now be axed

Xsolla acquires Lightstream, Rainmaker and API.stream in big third-party assets round-up

October 12, 2023

Xsolla acquires Lightstream, Rainmaker and API.stream in big third-party assets round-up

The three assets were all acquired from previous owner Videndum

Developer Jadu to launch “first ever” AR mobile fighting game

October 11, 2023

Developer Jadu to launch “first ever” AR mobile fighting game

The alternative reality title features collaborations with famous names such as Michael Bay

Alien: Isolation spin-off mobile game Alien: Blackout to be shuttered, joining raft of closures this year

October 11, 2023

Alien: Isolation spin-off mobile game Alien: Blackout to be shuttered, joining raft of closures this year

The loss of titles that have been closed down during 2023 continues to grow

Stumble Guys & Monopoly Go struggle in Latin America as report reveals the region's top games

October 11, 2023

Stumble Guys & Monopoly Go struggle in Latin America as report reveals the region's top games

Global chart toppers struggle to cut through in Latin America

Supercell to bring Clash of Clans and Clash Royale to PC for the first time

October 10, 2023

Supercell to bring Clash of Clans and Clash Royale to PC for the first time

Supercell’s flagship title and spin-off will be available via Google Play Games

Apple and Google could be on the hook for $50.5 million fine in Korea

October 10, 2023

Apple and Google could be on the hook for $50.5 million fine in Korea

The KCC has sought remediation after accusing the two companies of anti-competitive practices on mobile

Metacore opens first overseas office in Berlin as Merge Mansion hits 50m downloads

October 10, 2023

Metacore opens first overseas office in Berlin as Merge Mansion hits 50m downloads

The developer has expanded rapidly over the past few years thanks to the success of their breakout merge hit

Subway Surfers collaborate with Universal Pictures for Back to the Future crossover

October 9, 2023

Subway Surfers collaborate with Universal Pictures for Back to the Future crossover

The classic film will be the first multimedia collaboration that Subway Surfers has introduced

Konami is the king of mobile sports games in Japan - and worldwide

October 9, 2023

Konami is the king of mobile sports games in Japan - and worldwide

While best known for its big name gaming franchises, Konami's sporting portfolio on mobile is certainly no slouch

Embracer Group dropped from top stocks list by S&P

October 6, 2023

Embracer Group dropped from top stocks list by S&P

The lack of faith in the group exhibited by their exclusion is a further blow to the embattled company

Telltale layoffs in progress at resurrected company

October 6, 2023

Telltale layoffs in progress at resurrected company

Redundancies are being made at The Walking Dead creator, but numbers are still unclear

October 5, 2023

GameAnalytics hits 100,000 titles hosted and 200 million daily active users

The analytics platform has benefited from a surge in interest amongst developers

Modern Times Group acquires Pocket Gamer Award winner Snowprint Studios

October 5, 2023

Modern Times Group acquires Pocket Gamer Award winner Snowprint Studios

Snowprint Studios are behind the strategy title Warhammer 40,000: Tacticus

Niantic launches first in-game 'rewarded AR' advertising collaboration in Pokémon Go

October 5, 2023

Niantic launches first in-game 'rewarded AR' advertising collaboration in Pokémon Go

In-game AR ads are Niantic's new hope for fresh revenue as Pokémon Go numbers slide

One Punch Man World launches into cross-platform open beta

October 5, 2023

One Punch Man World launches into cross-platform open beta

The title is another investment in anime-themed titles by newly formed Crunchyroll Games

Agent 47 and the Hitman franchise are back for one last job… On mobile

October 4, 2023

Agent 47 and the Hitman franchise are back for one last job… On mobile

Hitman: Blood Money - Reprisal from Feral Interactive will be a mobile take on one of the definitive titles in the Hitman series

October 4, 2023

Krafton launches India game incubator with $150k potential investment for local studios

The company is going all-in on the Indian market previously despite BGMI's withdrawal and subsequent reinstatement

My.Games' Grand Hotel Mania reaches four-year anniversary and hits $100m in revenue

October 4, 2023

My.Games' Grand Hotel Mania reaches four-year anniversary and hits $100m in revenue

Grand Hotel Mania joins a highly performing game catalogue including Rush Royale and Left to Survive

Activision Blizzard brings back Warcraft & Diablo old-hand Chris Metzen in creative leadership shake-up

September 27, 2023

Leadership Changes

Activision Blizzard brings back Warcraft & Diablo old-hand Chris Metzen in creative leadership shake-up

The former contributor worked with Blizzard during some of its most successful years as a SVP of story and franchise development

Bidstack's big cheeses talk the past and future of intrinsic advertising

September 27, 2023

Bidstack's big cheeses talk the past and future of intrinsic advertising

We get the inside scoop from three of the insiders at intrinsic advertising specialists Bidstack

Saudi stakes a $50 billion+ claim in the gaming world - Nintendo, Activision, EA & more

September 27, 2023

Saudi stakes a $50 billion+ claim in the gaming world - Nintendo, Activision, EA & more

Move over Tencent, Savvy Games and the PIF are THE new market makers in the global games portfolio

India gets another alternative app store with PhonePe’s Indus Appstore

September 25, 2023

Alternative Distribution

India gets another alternative app store with PhonePe’s Indus Appstore

The Indian market boasts a number of alternative app stores

Console price for console quality: Resident Evil 4 to be $60 on iOS

September 25, 2023

Console price for console quality: Resident Evil 4 to be $60 on iOS

The game is set to emulate previous ‘lite’ versions

Our Incredible Indies panel reflects: Unity cannot be trusted

September 25, 2023

Our Incredible Indies panel reflects: Unity cannot be trusted

Our panellists from PGC Helsinki follow up their thoughts on the Unity situation

Roblox acquires Finnish AI voice moderation start-up Speechly

September 22, 2023

Roblox acquires Finnish AI voice moderation start-up Speechly

The company specialises in real-time voice moderation tech and other tech such as real-time transcription

Uma Musume Pretty Derby yanked from Chinese app stores two weeks after launch

September 22, 2023

Uma Musume Pretty Derby yanked from Chinese app stores two weeks after launch

The game's sudden withdrawal may be due to the gambling connection of its horse racing themes

Unity's Runtime Fee: Is it even legal?

September 21, 2023

Unity's Runtime Fee: Is it even legal?

Top legal companies have offered their thoughts on Unity's unpopular introduction of its proposed Runtime Fee