Author: Pocket Gamer

By Oleg Lomakov, Lead Game Designer, AppQuantum Frozen City is a mobile tycoon game inspired by the PC and console hit Frostpunk, which also recently came to the mobile platform. As of March 16, 2023, Frozen City had earned $11.3 million on in-apps and had been downloaded 10.8 million times. The RPD of the iOS and Android versions is around $1.05. The game has achieved all this since December 2022. So, what is the secret of Frozen City’s success? In this article, Oleg Lomakov, lead game designer at AppQuantum explains its gameplay, monetization, and other game components. Let’s talk a…

The games industry moves quickly and while stories may come and go there are some that we just can’t let go of…So, to give those particularly thorny topics a further going over we’ve created a weekly digest where the members of the PocketGamer.biz team share their thoughts and go that little bit deeper on some of the more interesting things that have happened in mobile gaming in the past week. Netflix may be bringing its games to TV screensNow this is interesting. So many angles and so much confusion when all they want to do is make your Netflix subscription…

Roblox, in the wake of serious criticism and a filing by TINA (Truth in Advertising) has brought in new rules to block any users under 13 from seeing advertising.The new regulations means that affected users will be prevented from seeing any advertising on the platform. Roblox has a massive user base of young people, particularly under 13’s, and their exposure to advertising has been a major point of contention for critics of the platform. However, as TINA did when praising this move, some have pointed out that these regulations do not seem to be enough given previous attempts at applying stricter…

New details have emerged regarding the breakdown of the long-standing partnership between NetEase and Blizzard.Previously the two companies had a long-term agreement through which NetEase published Blizzard’s titles – including the likes of World of Warcraft and Overwatch – in mainland China. However, this deal expired earlier this year, with the companies failing to reach an agreement on its renewal.Sources close to the matter told The New York TImes that there were numerous factors in the failure to renew the deal, much of which centred on NetEase’s concerns regarding the Chinese government’s tightening hold on the games industry. The company…

By Oxana Fomina, founder of Gradient Universe Games Analytics Consultancy Last year was a rough year for mobile, nowhere near fatal, but it still saw some serious changes for the industry. So how did some companies overcome these challenges to boost revenue in some of their biggest games? In the first of a series we’re going to take a closer look at games that have done just that? Beating trends and innovating with new audiences in order to succeed in the ever changing mobile landscape. For example, ATT-related challenges around UA and monetization make the future of user acquisition for F2P…

Ubisoft’s have spoken about their AI tool, Ghostwriter, stating that it will help not hinder existing staff and isn’t intended to replace them in the development pipeline.Speaking to industry newsletter Axios, research scientist for Ubisoft Ben Swanson said that the AI script-generating tech – which is used to create “barks” or random voice lines by NPCs – was created at the request of existing Ubisoft writers. He clarified this after the intense interest – and scrutinty – the announcement generated. In particular he noted that the tool still requires significant input from writers and would not be a replacement for…

Software platform Softonichas appointed Andy Webb to the role of VP of product, hoping to leverage his experience in international product development and mobile technology at Sky and the BBC, among other accelerate its mobile interests.Webb has worked in a variety of roles including building communication networks in conflict zones as part of the military, before moving on to play a key role in Huawei’s European expansion. Since then, Webb has held leadership roles in a variety of companies, including as product development lead at Sky and VP of product strategy and head of product – voice and AI at…

Indian esports brand Mobile Global esports (Mogo) will be collaborating with brands in India such as shops, restaurants and more, in order to share their user data as part of AI-driven analysis.The research will utilise AI to construct a user model of players, allowing brands with physical locations to customise offers at that location based on the players that spend time there.Mobile Global eSports concentrates mainly on the university market, and the mainly affluent students therein, with the intent being that these affluent students and players can be tied to physical locations that can then format their business accordingly.Commenting on the…

My.Games’ PvE shooter, Left to Survive, has hit 60m players worldwide since its launch in 2018. The shooter pits players against zombies in multiplayer matches and has managed to accrue $120m in revenue since its launch.This latest milestone makes the game not only one of the most popular titles in My.Games’ catalogue but also in its genre. As with many successful games, My.Games attributes the success and growth of the title to consistent live events and updates, as well as the multi-platform nature of the game with Left to Survive being available on PC, iOS and Android.CEO of My.Games, Vladimir…

There’s no better time to start planning your summer than now – start marking your calendars for the most highly anticipated conference of the summer this May and join us in Seattle! We’re coming back to the States this May 16th to 17th, and we can’t wait to come back to our favourite U.S. city for our next show. Pocket Gamer Connects Seattle is bringing together over 1,000 attendees from the games industry all over the globe to network, pitch and learn from over 150 of the games industry’s top authorities. The event will cover mobile, PC, console, web3, AR…