The Weekly Digest: Mobile Gaming News and Insights
The games industry is constantly evolving, and there are some stories that capture our attention and refuse to let go. That’s why we’ve created a weekly digest where our team at PocketGamer.biz shares their thoughts and dives deeper into the most interesting things that happened in mobile gaming over the past week.
Dear John… AppLovin CEO Takes a Stand Against Unity Runtime Fee
AppLovin has never been shy about their disdain for Unity. When Unity partnered with ironSource, AppLovin felt betrayed. To make matters worse, AppLovin’s CEO, Adam Foroughi, wrote a letter to Unity’s CEO, John Riccitiello, publicly expressing his frustration. As if that wasn’t enough, AppLovin even released a tool to help developers migrate their games from Unity to Godot or Unreal. It’s clear that AppLovin doesn’t hold back when it feels wronged.
Pokémon GO Sets Sights on India’s Mobile Gaming Market
Pokémon GO, one of the most successful mobile games, is looking to expand its reach in India. With China out of the picture, India’s booming mobile gaming market presents a lucrative opportunity for Niantic. The company plans to introduce new languages and four million additional pokéstops in India over the next year. This move could potentially lead to a tenfold increase in monthly active users and propel India to the top of Pokémon GO’s market rankings.
Brawl Stars’ $2bn Revenue Showcases Supercell’s Success
While it may be disappointing to see Supercell discontinue promising titles, their strategy of focusing on select projects seems to be paying off. Brawl Stars, which was released in 2018, has already generated over $2 billion in revenue. This success raises the question of whether Supercell is risking the potential success of other games by shifting their attention to titles like Clash of Clans and Brawl Stars. Only time will tell if this strategy will continue to yield positive results.
Microsoft’s Gaming Leak Reveals Exciting Hardware Plans
Microsoft is making waves once again, this time with leaks of internal documents showcasing their upcoming hardware releases. The documents reveal plans for a ‘refresh’ of Xbox consoles and controllers, set to be released in 2024. Additionally, there are mock-ups of new hardware, including a one-handed control and a mobile controller that attaches to phones. While the leaked content may change or be modified, it highlights Microsoft’s commitment to expanding their console offering and making gaming accessible on any device.
– Lewis Rees, Staff Writer
– Iwan Morris, Staff Writer
– Paige Cook, Features Editor