Safety And Security
Roblox is updating child safety measures with two key changes being introduced by the end of 2024
Roblox will make unrated games undiscoverable and limit social hangouts to users 14 and up
Staff
Aaron Astle
Job Title
News Editor
About Aaron is the News Editor at PG.biz and has an honours degree in Creative Writing.
Having spent far too many hours playing Pokémon, he's now on a quest to be the very best like no one ever was...at putting words in the right order.
Articles by Aaron Astle
Record Revenue
Krafton achieves record-breaking quarter with over $500 million in revenue
Mobile led the way in contributing over $300 million in revenue
Potential Bribary
Nine NetEase Games employees allegedly arrested for money laundering and bribery
General manager Xiang Lang is among those reportedly under investigation
Match-3 Monarch
Royal Kingdom surpasses $20m in soft launch revenue with November 21st global release date set
Dream Games is building on the Royal Match brand with a new match-3 title
Hot Five
Hot Five: Supercell acquires Space Ape, Pokémon TCG Pocket’s strong start, and Goddess of Victory: Nikke approaches $1 billion
Our quick-fix roundup of the hottest stories on PocketGamer.biz
Five New Games
New release roundup: Professor Doctor Jetpack, Drive Ahead! Carcade and more
We highlight five new games that have broken cover and are all set to do big business
Sale Sorted
Take-Two sells Private Division and almost all its games
Take-Two will continue to support cross-platform RPG No Rest for the Wicked
Mobile Matters
Take-Two Interactive generated $1.35 billion in Q2, but it’s still stuck in the red
The company reported a loss of $365.5 million for the quarter
Pokemon Power
Pokémon TCG Pocket has second best mobile launch in the franchise, beaten only by Pokémon Go
The latest Pokémon release has earned an estimated $33.7 million in its first seven days
Major Milestone
Call of Duty: Mobile hits one billion downloads
AppMagic estimates show the title has generated consistent revenue each year since launch
Ready To Return
Rainbow Six Mobile is returning in three "phases" towards global launch
The dev team plans to go through technical and engagement testing during return to soft launch
Funds And Finances
Radical Forge raises £2.6m to hire more staff and take on "bigger contracts"
Bright Paw developer receives investment from Mercia Equity Finance’s Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II
Title Trademark
HoYoverse’s Petit Planet: Another trademark, another game?
This could be a brand-new title or a rebranding of Astaweave Haven, which was trademarked in June
The Battle Endures
Google accuses Microsoft of wanting to "free-ride" on Play Store’s success amid Epic Games legal battle
Microsoft came out in support of Epic Games last week - now Google has responded
Bloom Boom
Pikmin Bloom celebrates record-breaking third year budding $63 million in lifetime earnings
53% of all in-game revenue was earned over the past year
Revenue Result
Microsoft makes $24.7bn profit in Q1 after video game cutbacks
Microsoft’s games business increased its revenue to $5.6bn for the quarter, but that didn’t spare Xbox from job cuts
Nikke Numbers
Goddess of Victory: Nikke celebrates second anniversary and nearly $900m on mobile
Shift Up’s popular gacha game is celebrating its second anniversary from a past antagonist’s perspective
Pocket Power
Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket surpasses 10 million downloads and $23m revenue
Japan makes up 45% of player spending during the game's opening five days, followed by the US
Hot Five
Hot Five: Pokémon vs Palworld, Fingersoft layoffs, and Facebook Instant Games’ in-app purchases on iOS
Our quick-fix roundup of the hottest stories on PocketGamer.biz
Mario Music
Nintendo Music brings classic game soundtracks to mobile devices
App features music from hit IPs like Mario and The Legend of Zelda, but fails to credit artists
Five New Games
New release roundup: Pokémon TCG Pocket, Frostpunk, Bloons Card Storm, and more
We highlight five new games that have broken cover over the past week
Trick Or Treat
Pokémon Sleep turns spooky with 107% revenue spike as Halloween event gets underway
Popular Alolan Pokémon Mimikyu has debuted in-game for Halloween alongside bundles and an event
Incredible Indies
Incredible Indies: Johnny Monsarrat on why there is plenty of room left for AR-powered outdoor RPGs
Monsarrat shares how the AR boom has sparked new potential in RPGs
Pay To Play
Monster Hunter Now tests Pokémon Go event formula with Carnival Global
Now’s first in-person event is getting an online follow-up for players who couldn’t attend in Shibuya
Managing Millions
Trophy Games revenue rises by 56% in Q3 as Airline Manager and Energy Manager drive new installs
Developer recorded a 108% year-on-year increase in paying users during Q3 2024
Emerging Markets
Supercell’s Games First 2024 explores emerging markets in LATAM, India and Africa
Emerging markets are presenting opportunities to grow audiences and new studios
Closing Koi
Sony closes mobile studio Neon Koi
Neon Koi and Firewalk are both closing down as Sony prioritises games on a "pedigree" level
The Web Way
Nitro Games’ Autogun Heroes launches on CrazyGames web portal
Cross-progression and cross-play are both available between mobile and web versions
Revenue Result
Reverse: 1999 celebrates first anniversary in the West with $100m on the horizon
The time travel title celebrated one year since global launch on October 26th
Pokemon Power
Pokémon TCG Pocket launches tomorrow, but will it be the very best like Pokémon Go...?
The digitalised card game is debuting with plenty of nostalgia-infused Kanto classics, much like the geolocation giant before it
Mobile Marketing
71% of marketing spend is focused on just 10 countries
A new study from Moloco suggests potential high-value users in many regions are being overlooked
Mega Money
Microsoft CEO's compensation grows to $79m despite job cuts
Satya Nadella had requested a reduction in his pay package, which could otherwise have approached $85m
Web Shop Waves
100% of top social casino games have a web shop, while casual’s only reached 30%
Across the 20 highest-grossing mobile games, Appcharge finds 72% have a web shop
Pocket Premium
Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp Complete goes premium on December 3rd
The premium replacement will allow players to transfer their data up until June 2nd, 2025
Rumour Rebuttal
Tencent denies layoffs despite restructuring, leadership changes and VP’s departure
VP Zeng Yu is retiring as 10 individuals are impacted in management overhaul
Hot Five
Hot Five: Barbie’s UK soft launch, Supercell’s London-based hiring, and Antihero’s IDFA perspective
Our quick-fix roundup of the hottest stories on PocketGamer.biz
Five New Games
New release roundup: Neko Atsume 2, Blossom Tales 2, Political Party Frenzy, and more
We highlight five new games that have broken cover over the past week
New From Ncsoft
NCSoft to establish four new subsidiaries developing games and researching AI
The corporate split-off was approved during a board meeting but awaits green light from shareholders
Holidays Ahoy
Over 35% will play more mobile games during holiday season, with Gen X screen time to outdo Gen Z
Unity’s new US-based survey finds who’s playing, who’s spending, and who’s watching ads this Christmas
Marvel Milestone
Marvel Snap surpasses $275 million as it celebrates second anniversary
Mobile revenue dropped by 40% in year two, but movie releases may be changing its fortunes…
Studio Shuttering
Netflix closes 'triple-A' studio Team Blue and cuts ties with senior hires
Big-name hires Chacko Sonny, Joesph Staten and Rafael Grassetti have all departed from the studio
Studio Start-up
Supercell and King vets co-found Antihero Studios to "create games worth sharing"
The start-up will focus on multiplayer titles, aiming to produce socially engaging, "inspiring" games
Here Comes Halloween
Halloween hijinks get underway in Monopoly Go, Pokémon Sleep, Marvel Snap and more
Many developers are going spooky this month with tricks, treats and more planned for the days ahead…
Hot Five
Hot Five: Supercell’s first CMO departs, Unity 6 goes back to basics, and Azra Games raises $42.7 million
Our quick-fix roundup of the hottest stories on PocketGamer.biz
New Games
New release roundup: Age of Empires: Mobile, Pocket Necromancer, Battle Cars, and more
We highlight six new games that have broken cover and are all set to do big business
Unity 6 Unveiled
Unity 6 goes live: Under the hood of the game engine's latest AI, web and mobile tools
We sit down with Unity VP of product Ryan Ellis to talk everything Unity 6, the Runtime Fee and more
Social Superfans
Windwalk raises $4.5 million and launches "superfan" social software platform Harbor
Harbor is a hub for superfans in games, music and more
Getting Gritty
Ex-Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes GM on raising $42m and building the fourth generation of mobile RPGs at Azra
Project Legends is veering away from the prevalent anime aesthetic and aiming for a Western audience
Overwatch Ahead
Report: Overwatch Mobile is in development
Blizzard Entertainment has yet to officially confirm the title, but staff claim it's in the works
Phenomenal Funding
Azra Games raises major $42.7 million in Series A to create a mobile RPG for Western audiences
Project Legends is harkening back to 70s fantasy media like Conan the Barbarian