Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast PocketGamer.biz Podcast

PocketGamer.biz head of content Craig Chapple and deputy editor Paige Cook talk through the latest games industry news on the 105th episode of the Week in Mobile Games Podcast.

On the show this week:

• Europe's CPC targets King, Supercell, Mojang and others over virtual currencies.
• Mark Pincus reveals Zynga nearly acquired Supercell for $400m in 2012.
• Daily log-in bonuses and activity streaks under threat in EU Kids Act.
• The future of cloud gaming.
• And Craig rants about the insane AI PR machine and why cloud gaming will never work.

00:00 Introductions

05:29 Insane AI hype

10:47 PGC events

11:20 EU Kids Act

16:45 Investigation into In-Game Virtual Currencies

20:27 Cloud Gaming

27:18 Zynga's missed $400m Supercell acquisition

33:15 Xbox layoffs

** Let's Connect **

👉🏻 X - https://x.com/pgbiz

👉🏻 LinkedIn Group - https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/pocketgamer-biz/?originalSubdomain=uk

👉🏻 Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/PGbiz

👉🏻 Website - https://www.pocketgamer.biz

👉🏻 Check out more world-class speakers sharing their insights and expertise at one of our events. You can find details of our next event here - https://www.pgconnects.com/next-event

👉🏻 Read our games industry region reports on the UK, China, Nordics, Iberia, Türkiye and more here: https://www.pocketgamer.biz/reports/

PocketGamer.biz head of content Craig Chapple, features and data editor Aaron Astle, deputy editor Aaron Astle and editorial director for events Mariam Ahmad talk through the latest games industry news on the 104th episode of the Week in Mobile Games Podcast.

On the show we discuss:

• The newly announced Apple foldable phone, the iPhone Duo.
• The backlash against Apple's new EU terms and the European Commission's "apparent endorsement" of them.
• The top mobile games from August 2026's revenue and download charts.
• The change in leadership at UK studio Trailmix, developer of Love & Pies.
• The secret karaoke video.

** Let's Connect **

👉🏻 X - https://x.com/pgbiz

👉🏻 LinkedIn Group - https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/pocketgamer-biz/?originalSubdomain=uk

👉🏻 Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/PGbiz

👉🏻 Website - https://www.pocketgamer.biz

👉🏻 Check out more world-class speakers sharing their insights and expertise at one of our events. You can find details of our next event here - https://www.pgconnects.com/next-event

👉🏻 Read our games industry region reports on the UK, China, Nordics, Iberia and more here: https://www.pocketgamer.biz/reports/

PocketGamer.biz head of content Craig Chapple and features and data editor Aaron Astle talk through the latest games industry news on the 103rd episode of the Week in Mobile Games Podcast.

On the show we discuss:

• Our Gamescom 2026 insights.
• Sony Music's acquisition of a 23.29% stake in Puzzle & Dragons developer GungHo.
• The exit of CEO Brian Ward from Savvy Games Group.
• W4 Games' $18m investment, the rise of Godot and a very short history of game engines.
• How Monster Hunter Outlanders is bringing the classic experience to mobile.
• The newly announced animated movie Pokémon: Wild Card.

00:00 Introductions

05:41 Gamescom 2026 insights

14:36 Monster Hunter Outlanders

17:50 Sony Music's GungHo investment

20:28 Brian Ward exits Savvy Games Group

24:02 Pokémon: Wild Card movie

31:02 The rise of Godot

35:42 Conclusions

** Let's Connect **

👉🏻 X - https://x.com/pgbiz

👉🏻 LinkedIn Group - https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/pocketgamer-biz/?originalSubdomain=uk

👉🏻 Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/PGbiz

👉🏻 Website - https://www.pocketgamer.biz

👉🏻 Check out more world-class speakers sharing their insights and expertise at one of our events. You can find details of our next event here - https://www.pgconnects.com/next-event

👉🏻 Read our games industry region reports on the UK, China, Nordics, Iberia and more here: https://www.pocketgamer.biz/reports/

The PocketGamer.biz Podcast welcomes Xsolla president Chris Hewish in a new episode that dives into the world of direct-to-consumer and the company's key new announcements.Xsolla is rolling out six new solutions right now in the build-up to Gamescom, including Web Shop Ecosystem, a complete D2C offering built specifically for mobile games. There’s also 15 new local payment methods; the Xsolla AI Toolkit and its new CLI, an AI-assisted path from a new publisher account to a working web shop; an expanded creator platform; and a backend partnership with AccelByte.Sponsored by Xsolla and hosted by Peggy Anne Salz, this episode delves into:

• The state of the D2C space following legal and regulatory movements.
• Why the suite of tools announced by Xsolla aren’t just about payments.
• How the company is embracing AI to empower D2C. Developers can build a working storefront in a single session - but should they?
• How the Xsolla Partner Network works and the relevancy of creator campaigns for mobile publishers.
• The partnership with AccelByte and what it means for developers and Xsolla’s tool suite.

** Let's Connect **👉🏻 X - https://x.com/pgbiz 👉🏻 LinkedIn Group - https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/poc... 👉🏻 Facebook -   / pgbiz  👉🏻 Website - https://www.pocketgamer.biz Check out more world-class speakers sharing their insights and expertise at one of our events. You can find details of our next event here - https://www.pgconnects.com/next-event

PocketGamer.biz head of content Craig Chapple, features and data editor Aaron Astle, editorial director for events Mariam Ahmad and our special guest, AppsFlyer global director of product for gaming Adam Smart, talk through the latest games industry news on the 101st episode of the Week in Mobile Games Podcast.

On the show we discuss:

• The upcoming big expo that is Gamescom - and what impact a discless console future could have on fandom.
• If cloud gaming really has an audience.
• Türkiye's fast-moving games hub and why it's so successful.
• Pokémon Go's stellar July for revenue and more chart toppers for the month.
• MTG's rebranding of its midcore division to Playamp and what it means for AI and D2C.

** Let's Connect **

👉🏻 X - https://x.com/pgbiz

👉🏻 LinkedIn Group - https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/pocketgamer-biz/?originalSubdomain=uk

👉🏻 Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/PGbiz

👉🏻 Website - https://www.pocketgamer.biz

👉🏻 Check out more world-class speakers sharing their insights and expertise at one of our events. You can find details of our next event here - https://www.pgconnects.com/next-event

👉🏻 Read our games industry region reports on the UK, China, Nordics, Iberia and more here: https://www.pocketgamer.biz/reports/

PocketGamer.biz head of content Craig Chapple, features and data editor Aaron Astle and editorial director for events Mariam Ahmad talk through the latest games industry news on the 100th episode of the Week in Mobile Games Podcast.

On the show we discuss:

• Key takeaways from our trip to ChinaJoy and PGC Summit Shanghai.
• Devolver Digital's proposal to go private.
• Tripledot's acquisition of Supersonic.
• EA's sale to a PIF-led consortium.
• Nintendo's use of its mobile apps to promote Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave.
• How Arknights: Endfield surpassed $125m in six months on mobile.

** Let's Connect **

👉🏻 X - https://x.com/pgbiz

👉🏻 LinkedIn Group - https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/pocketgamer-biz/?originalSubdomain=uk

👉🏻 Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/PGbiz

👉🏻 Website - https://www.pocketgamer.biz

👉🏻 Check out more world-class speakers sharing their insights and expertise at one of our events. You can find details of our next event here - https://www.pgconnects.com/next-event

👉🏻 Read our games industry region reports on the UK, China, Nordics, Iberia and more here: https://www.pocketgamer.biz/reports/

PocketGamer.biz head of content Craig Chapple, deputy editor Paige Cook and features and data editor Aaron Astle talk through the latest games industry news on the 98th episode of the Week in Mobile Games Podcast.

On the show we discuss:

- Epic and Google's decision to withdraw their Play Store settlement in the US.

- The Top 30 China Game Makers of 2026.

- How Go Fest 2026 saw Pokémon Go revenue skyrocket.

- The top mobile game genres for H1 2026.

- Why a California-led coalition seeks to block the Paramount-Warner Bros. merger.

- UKIE's 2025 UK Games Industry Workforce Demographics Survey.

** Let's Connect **

👉🏻 X - https://x.com/pgbiz

👉🏻 LinkedIn Group - https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/pocketgamer-biz/?originalSubdomain=uk

👉🏻 Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/PGbiz

👉🏻 Website - https://www.pocketgamer.biz

👉🏻 Check out more world-class speakers sharing their insights and expertise at one of our events. You can find details of our next event here - https://www.pgconnects.com/next-event

👉🏻 Vote in the Pocket Gamer Mobile Games Awards 2026 - https://www.pocketgamer.biz/mga2026/vote/

We speak to My.Games CEO Elena Grigorian about forever franchises like War Robots and Rush Royale, and delve into its new R&D structure and why it plots a $50m a year benchmark for new games.** Let's Connect **👉🏻 X - https://x.com/pgbiz 👉🏻 LinkedIn Group - https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/pocketgamer-biz/?originalSubdomain=uk 👉🏻 Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/PGbiz👉🏻 Website - https://www.pocketgamer.biz Check out more world-class speakers sharing their insights and expertise at one of our events. You can find details of our next event here - https://www.pgconnects.com/next-event

PocketGamer.biz head of content Craig Chapple, deputy editor Paige Cook and features and data editor Aaron Astle talk through the latest games industry news on the 97th episode of the Week in Mobile Games Podcast.

On the show we discuss:

• We unpack the news that Xbox is laying off 3,200 staff and divesting five studios,  with plans to engage one billion players daily.
• Pokémon Go's 10th anniversary.
• The Love and Deepspace 'bring back Valko' petition.
• The kick-off the Esports World Cup 2026.
• Nintendo's decision to shut down Mario Kart Tour.

00:00 - Introductions

04:08 - Xbox layoffs and reset

22:20 - Love & Deepspace 'Bring back Valko'

27:08 - Pokémon Go 10th anniversary

31:54 - Esports World Cup

34:40 - Mario Kart Tour shuts down

39:41 - Conclusion

** Let's Connect **

👉🏻 X - https://x.com/pgbiz

👉🏻 LinkedIn Group - https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/pocketgamer-biz/?originalSubdomain=uk

👉🏻 Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/PGbiz

👉🏻 Website - https://www.pocketgamer.biz

👉🏻 Check out more world-class speakers sharing their insights and expertise at one of our events. You can find details of our next event here - https://www.pgconnects.com/next-event

👉🏻 Vote in the Pocket Gamer Mobile Games Awards 2026 - https://www.pocketgamer.biz/mga2026/vote/

Appcharge and GDC estimated in a recent report that the global direct-to-consumer market for games is worth $17 billion - or around 15% of the global in-app purchase sector.To get further insights into the report and the D2C space, we spoke with Appcharge chief marketing officer Gil Tov-Ly on the PocketGamer.biz Podcast - part of our new expanded video series with industry leaders.

Download the D2C report here: https://www.appcharge.com/DTC-is-already-a-17b-market-report

** Let's Connect **👉🏻 X - https://x.com/pgbiz 👉🏻 LinkedIn Group - https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/pocketgamer-biz/?originalSubdomain=uk 👉🏻 Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/PGbiz👉🏻 Website - https://www.pocketgamer.biz Check out more world-class speakers sharing their insights and expertise at one of our events. You can find details of our next event here - https://www.pgconnects.com/next-event

In the Hot Seat is our new video series where Pocket Gamer Connects speakers get candid before they take the stage at our worldwide events.

First up is Devin Nambiar, chief operating officer at Mattel163, taking questions from PocketGamer.biz editorial director for events, Mariam Ahmad.

Born as a joint venture between an iconic American toy giant and Chinese internet powerhouse NetEase, Mattel163 turned decades-old card games into a global business.

In February of this year, Mattel moved to acquire NetEase's 50% stake outright, valuing the studio at $318 million and folding it in as its internal game development and publishing arm.

Nambiar himself mirrors that blend: a Californian who's spent more than a third of his life in Asia, now running R&D, publishing and portfolio strategy after nearly a decade at EA.

We sat down with him ahead of his 'Does the Best Game Win Anymore?' panel at PGC Summit Shanghai on July 29th.

** Let's Connect **

👉🏻 X - https://x.com/pgbiz

👉🏻 LinkedIn Group - https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/pocketgamer-biz/?originalSubdomain=uk

👉🏻 Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/PGbiz

👉🏻 Website - https://www.pocketgamer.biz Check out more world-class speakers sharing their insights and expertise at one of our events.

You can find details of our next event here - https://www.pgconnects.com/next-event

PocketGamer.biz head of content Craig Chapple, deputy editor Paige Cook, editorial director for events Mariam Ahmad and features and data editor Aaron Astle talk through the latest games industry news on the 96th episode of the Week in Mobile Games Podcast.

On the show we discuss:

• The latest numbers behind the WeChat Mini-Games boom.
• The big Love & Deepspace Valko controversy.
• Netflix and Night School Studio's new immersive horror game Unhinged.
• A discless future for consoles and what it means for the games market.

Vote in the Pocket Gamer Mobile Games Awards 2026: https://www.pocketgamer.biz/vote-now-the-mobile-games-awards-2026-in-association-with-samsung-gaming-hub/

00:00 Introductions

07:32 WeChat Mini Games Insights

12:12 Valko Controversy in Love and Deepspace

19:33 Netflix's Unhinged

24:17 The Future of Physical Discs in Gaming

34:23 Conclusion

** Let's Connect **👉🏻 X - https://x.com/pgbiz 👉🏻 LinkedIn Group - https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/pocketgamer-biz/?originalSubdomain=uk 👉🏻 Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/PGbiz👉🏻 Website - https://www.pocketgamer.biz Check out more world-class speakers sharing their insights and expertise at one of our events. You can find details of our next event here - https://www.pgconnects.com/next-event

In Part 2 of our deep dive into the world of rewarded ads, we move beyond the basics to explore how studios can master long-term campaign success through advanced technology and integrated design. Industry experts Zino Rost van Tonningen, CEO at TyrAds and Arseny Lebedev, Co-Founder & CEO at Original Games return to discuss why the "final boss" of monetization is the seamless merger of live ops and rewarded environments.

This episode covers the transition from simple metrics like early ROAS to a holistic view of user engagement and retention. Learn how AI-driven hyper-segmentation is becoming the only way to scale personalization, why monetization must be a core pillar of game design from day one, and how to avoid the pitfalls of over-optimizing too early. We conclude with a rapid-fire round of expert advice on what studios should start, stop, and watch in the coming year.

Chapters:

00:00 - Integrating Monetization into Game Design

03:41 - Measuring Beyond ROAS: The Importance of Early Engagement

07:48 - Growing the Baseline: Strategies for High-Value and Middle Segments

11:06 - The Dangers of Over-Optimization and Breaking Player Trust

14:01 - Troubleshooting Campaign Exhaustion and Event Setup

15:51 - AI and Hyper-Segmentation: The Future of Rewarded Ads

19:37 - The "Final Boss": Merging Live Ops with Rewarded Environments

21:31 - Rapid Fire: Expert Tips for Studios in 2026

24:20 - Personal Favorites: Runescape, Doom, and Subnautica 2

Let's Connect

👉🏻 X - https://x.com/pgbiz

👉🏻 LinkedIn Group - https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/pocketgamer-biz/?originalSubdomain=uk

👉🏻 Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/PGbiz

👉🏻 Website - https://www.pocketgamer.biz

Check out more world-class speakers sharing their insights and expertise at one of our events. You can find details of our next event here - https://www.pgconnects.com/next-event

PocketGamer.biz head of content Craig Chapple, deputy editor Paige Cook and features and data editor Aaron Astle talk through the latest games industry news on the 95th episode of the Week in Mobile Games Podcast.

On the show we discuss:

• Appcharge's new report that claims direct-to-consumer platforms are banking $17 billion.
• Google's rollout of new Play store fees, including a 20% platform tax not tied to Google Pay.
• HoYoverse’s new game Honkai: Nexus Anima.
• Why Scopely launched the Monopoly Go Chat app.
• The Traitors WhatsApp game.
• Layoffs at Kabam and the impending Microsoft cuts.

00:00 Introduction and Heatwave Experiences02:25 Pokémon Champions04:52 Patching old games with StarCraft 209:28 Direct-to-Consumer hits $17bn13:33 Honkai Nexus Anima

17:19 The Traitors Anywhere

20:36 Google Play fee changes

24:25 Monopoly Go Chat

28:20 Layoffs at Kabam

31:14 Outro

** Let's Connect **

👉🏻 Twitter - https://twitter.com/pgbiz

👉🏻 LinkedIn Group - https://www.linkedin.com/company/pocketgamer-biz/

👉🏻 Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/PGbiz

👉🏻 Website - https://www.pocketgamer.biz

👉🏻 Pocket Gamer Connects - https://www.pgconnects.com

👉🏻Pocket Gamer Connects Speaker Submission form - https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdoS5n-vdHu6aU-2d_rR7x1FAgewG51y3nlU1aB8RdetiKaGw/viewform

👉🏻 The Top 50 Mobile Game Makers 2025 - https://www.pocketgamer.biz/the-top-50-mobile-game-makers-of-2025/👉🏻 Join the AI Gamechangers newsletter - https://aigamechangers.substack.com

PocketGamer.biz head of content Craig Chapple, editorial director for events Mariam Ahmad and features and data editor Aaron Astle talk through the latest games industry news on the 94th episode of the Week in Mobile Games Podcast.On the show we discuss:- Takeaways from Pocket Gamer Connects Barcelona 2026.- The UK social media ban for under-16s.- The launch of Pokémon Champions on mobile.- How Where Winds Meet made $22.1m on mobile in six months outside of China.- Unreal Engine for Fortnite creator payouts surpass $1 billion - and the Roblox vs Fortnite battle.- Whether GTA VI will really impact mobile game spending.

00:00 - Introductions

03:24 - PGC Barcelona Takeaways

11:37 - Pokémon Champions' Mobile Launch

15:27 - Fortnite vs Roblox

20:24 - The UK Under-16 Social Media Ban3

2:53 - Where Winds Meet Banks $22m

35:55 - Will GTA VI Impact Mobile Spending?** Let's Connect **👉🏻 Twitter - https://twitter.com/pgbiz👉🏻 LinkedIn Group - https://www.linkedin.com/company/pocketgamer-biz/👉🏻 Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/PGbiz👉🏻 Website - https://www.pocketgamer.biz 👉🏻 Pocket Gamer Connects - https://www.pgconnects.com👉🏻Pocket Gamer Connects Speaker Submission form - https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdoS5n-vdHu6aU-2d_rR7x1FAgewG51y3nlU1aB8RdetiKaGw/viewform👉🏻 The Top 50 Mobile Game Makers 2025 - https://www.pocketgamer.biz/the-top-50-mobile-game-makers-of-2025/👉🏻 Join the AI Gamechangers newsletter - https://aigamechangers.substack.com

Explore the rapidly evolving landscape of rewarded ads in mobile gaming with industry experts. In this episode we dive into the shift from simple install-driven models to sophisticated, data-led strategies that integrate live ops and deep user segmentation. Our guests Zino Rost van Tonningen, CEO at TyrAds and Arseny Lebedev, Co-Founder & CEO at Original Games discuss the critical role of data structure in the age of AI and why a "one-size-fits-all" approach no longer works for monetization.

The discussion covers the diverse personas within the rewarded ecosystem—ranging from "rewards hunters" to dedicated casual players—and how these segments impact long-term profitability and LTV. Discover why rewarded ads are becoming a vital alternative for game discovery amidst the challenges of modern app store SEO.

This is Part 1 of our in-depth conversation. Stay tuned for Part 2, where we dive deeper into the evolving world of rewarded ads, exploring how studios can leverage AI for hyper-segmentation, the critical importance of integrating monetization directly into game design, and expert tips for accurately measuring long-term campaign success.

Timestamps:

00:00 - The Evolution of Rewarded Ads

02:40 - Data-Driven Market Correction

06:30 - A Publisher's Perspective on Rewarded UA

10:00 - High-Value User Behavior

12:50 - Balancing User Segments for Profitability

17:15 - Scalability and Competition

19:35 - The Four Main Rewarded Personas

** Let's Connect **

👉🏻 X - https://x.com/pgbiz

👉🏻 LinkedIn Group - https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/pocketgamer-biz/?originalSubdomain=uk

👉🏻 Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/PGbiz

👉🏻 Website - https://www.pocketgamer.biz

Check out more world-class speakers sharing their insights and expertise at one of our events. You can find details of our next event here - https://www.pgconnects.com/next-event

PocketGamer.biz head of content Craig Chapple, deputy editor Paige Cook, editorial director for events Mariam Ahmad and features and data editor Aaron Astle talk through the latest games industry news on the 93rd episode of the Week in Mobile Games Podcast.

On the show we discuss:

• The growth of Spain and Portugal's games hubs and why they are attracting so many international publishers.
• Record D2C revenue at the world's top games companies.
• The confusion around Xbox's big reset.
• The Candy Crush All Stars tournament that had a $1 million prize pool.
• The ESA's letter warning the No Fakes Act could create legal uncertainty for the games industry.
• How ARM aims to unlock triple-A graphics on mobile with Neural Dawn.

Recorded live on-site at GDC, host Peggy Anne Salz sits down with Derek Day and Jamie Young, the cousins behind Emerald City Games, to talk about what it really takes to build an independent studio that lasts.

Emerald City started in a basement in 2008, with families upstairs, developers downstairs and a team doing whatever it took to keep the dream alive. Fast forward and the studio has shipped more than a dozen titles across original IP and major franchises, including Star Trek and Tomb Raider.

Derek and Jamie share how Emerald City has stayed independent by balancing creativity with survival, building strong internal tools, protecting its visual identity and staying flexible enough to work across original worlds, licensed IP and live mobile games.

Skillz enters the conversation as the infrastructure layer that helps studios like Emerald City keep that focus. By bringing competition systems, backend support, analytics and live ops tooling closer together, Skillz gives developers more room to build the parts players actually feel: the game, the world, the community and the experience.

In this episode, Peggy, Derek and Jamie get into:

• How two cousins built Emerald City Games from a basement into a long-running independent studio
• Why staying independent means knowing when to say no, even when opportunities come calling
• How the team puts its own creative stamp on major franchises like Star Trek and Tomb Raider
• Why retention, live ops and community now shape how mobile games are built from the start
• Why integrated SDKs, analytics and platform tools can give indie teams more room to punch above their weight

For indie developers, Emerald City’s story is proof that survival is a strategy. Stay creative, stay adaptable, build the right team and use the right tools so you can keep shipping the games only you can make.

Let's Connect

👉🏻 X - https://x.com/pgbiz

👉🏻 LinkedIn Group - https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/pocketgamer-biz/?originalSubdomain=uk

👉🏻 Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/PGbiz

👉🏻 Website - https://www.pocketgamer.biz

Check out more world-class speakers sharing their insights and expertise at one of our events. You can find details of our next event here - https://www.pgconnects.com/next-event

PocketGamer.biz head of content Craig Chapple, deputy editor Paige Cook and features and data editor Aaron Astle talk through the latest games industry news on the 92nd episode of the Week in Mobile Games Podcast.

On the show we discuss:

• Our interview with Sensor Tower's Tom Cui on why it acquired AppMagic.
• Xbox's rebrand, player voice and hire of Matthew Ball as chief strategy officer.
• Nintendo's new mobile app Pictonico.
• The rise of UGC platform Melon Sandbox.
• Fortnite's big return to the App Store worldwide - except for Australia.
• Nex Playground's success and global expansion.

00:00 - Introduction and Personal Updates04:09 - Sensor Tower Acquires AppMagic10:04 - Fortnite's Return to the App Store13:34 - Nintendo's Pictonico!17:59 - Xbox's Branding Change21:49 - Leadership Changes at Xbox25:00 - Next Playground: A New Motion-Based Console30:20 - The Rise of Melon Sandbox

** Let's Connect **

👉🏻 Twitter - https://twitter.com/pgbiz

👉🏻 LinkedIn Group - https://www.linkedin.com/company/pocketgamer-biz/

👉🏻 Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/PGbiz

👉🏻 Website - https://www.pocketgamer.biz

👉🏻 Pocket Gamer Connects - https://www.pgconnects.com

👉🏻Pocket Gamer Connects Speaker Submission form - https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdoS5n-vdHu6aU-2d_rR7x1FAgewG51y3nlU1aB8RdetiKaGw/viewform

👉🏻 The Top 50 Mobile Game Makers 2025 - https://www.pocketgamer.biz/the-top-50-mobile-game-makers-of-2025/

👉🏻 Download the PocketGamer.biz Mobile Games Developer Trends Survey Winter 2024/25 report - https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf3tbjUxVkG17CuHHljMblfmUC3DZ6gNAzV8qiz8bAALUXSvQ/viewform

👉🏻 Join the AI Gamechangers newsletter - https://aigamechangers.substack.com

PocketGamer.biz head of content Craig Chapple, deputy editor Paige Cook and news editor Aaron Astle talk through the latest games industry news on the 91st episode of the Week in Mobile Games Podcast.

On the show we discuss:

• Sensor Tower's acquisition of rival AppMagic.
• Time and Business Insider's moves to follow the New York Times Games playbook with the launch of new games.
• Nintendo Switch 2 sales and the company's share price fall.
• Sega's brutal comments on the Rovio acquisition.
• Ebay's rejection of GameStop's surprise proposal to buy the company.
• The new Wordle TV show, which sounds oddly familiar...

00:00 Introductions07:54 Gamescom LATAM takeaways11:33 Sensor Tower acquires AppMagic16:10 Nintendo's Financials and Switch 2 sales22:32 Ebay rejects GameStop's purchase offer26:25 Time and Business Insider Games29:06 Sega Financials and Rovio's Performance36:16 Wordle gets a TV show

** Let's Connect **

👉🏻 Twitter - https://twitter.com/pgbiz

👉🏻 LinkedIn Group - https://www.linkedin.com/company/pocketgamer-biz/

👉🏻 Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/PGbiz

👉🏻 Website - https://www.pocketgamer.biz

👉🏻 Pocket Gamer Connects - https://www.pgconnects.com

👉🏻Pocket Gamer Connects Speaker Submission form - https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdoS5n-vdHu6aU-2d_rR7x1FAgewG51y3nlU1aB8RdetiKaGw/viewform

👉🏻 The Top 50 Mobile Game Makers 2025 - https://www.pocketgamer.biz/the-top-50-mobile-game-makers-of-2025/

👉🏻 Download the PocketGamer.biz Mobile Games Developer Trends Survey Winter 2024/25 report - https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf3tbjUxVkG17CuHHljMblfmUC3DZ6gNAzV8qiz8bAALUXSvQ/viewform

👉🏻 Join the AI Gamechangers newsletter - https://aigamechangers.substack.com

In this PocketGamer.biz episode, hosts Peggy Anne Salz and Craig Chapple sit down with Ambrose Robinson, founder of Parable Studios and creator of Millennium Whisper, to talk about a very different future for AI in games.

While much of the AI conversation is about scale, servers and bigger models, Ambrose is pushing in the other direction: smaller, smarter, actor-led and built to run on-device.

As Ambrose puts it: If AI in games is going to create new experiences, it needs more than scraped data and generic outputs. It needs creative intent, ethical data capture and systems designed around the game itself.

That is the thinking behind Millennium Whisper, the first on-device AI game released on Steam, a dating sim set in 1999 where characters generate emotional responses, remember interactions and share information across the game world.

As Ambrose puts it, the problem with much of AI content today is that “there’s no one on the other end.” This episode explores what happens when there is.

Peggy, Craig and Ambrose dig into:

• Why AI-generated “slop” is damaging the conversation around genuinely creative AI in games
• How Parable Studios uses actor-led data capture instead of scraping generic online content
• Why smaller, game-specific models can be more powerful than massive general-purpose systems • What on-device AI changes for cost, scale, latency and creative ownership
• How Millennium Whisper proves AI can unlock new kinds of narrative gameplay, not just automate production
• Why indies may be the first to show what AI-native games can really become

The big takeaway: AI should not replace creativity. It should open up game ideas that were too hard, too expensive or too strange to build before.

If you care about where AI in games goes next, this is the conversation that cuts through the hype and gets to the heart of what actually matters.

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction to Ambrose Robinson and Parable Studios

01:53 - How AI Can Help Indie Games Stand Out

03:05 - The Importance of Human Creativity in AI

06:18 - From Farm Life to AI Research

11:03 - The Parable Engine and On-Device Models

15:22 - Solving Scalability and Cost for Indies

18:27 - Using Actors for Data and D&D Style Improv

23:04 - Avoiding "AI Slop" through Specificity

28:01 - Case Study: Millennium Whisper

40:20 - Future Plans for Mobile and New Games

Let's Connect 👉🏻 X - https://x.com/pgbiz 👉🏻 LinkedIn Group - https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/pocketgamer-biz/?originalSubdomain=uk 👉🏻 Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/PGbiz👉🏻 Website - https://www.pocketgamer.biz Check out more world-class speakers sharing their insights and expertise at one of our events. You can find details of our next event here - https://www.pgconnects.com/next-event

Recorded live on-site at GDC, host Peggy Anne Salz sits down with Justin Graysmark, founder of Eplay Studios, to unpack the unlikely path from teaching English in Poland to building a portfolio of 25 competitive games and driving 2 million installs on the Skillz platform.

Justin didn’t come into games through the usual route. He started with a love of competitive trivia, a serious winning streak on the leaderboard and the conviction that real rewards could make skill-based games even more compelling. In 2016, that spark became Eplay Studios.

What followed was not overnight success. It was persistence, testing, missed shots, hard lessons and a lot of getting back up.

As Justin puts it, game development has plenty in common with martial arts: you get your butt kicked, you learn, you try again. That mindset helped him move from early misses to games players actually wanted to play.

In this episode, Peggy and Justin get into:

• How Justin turned a competitive trivia habit into a full-time indie studio
• Why fairness, balance and trust are make-or-break in real-money competitive games
• What 25 games and 2 million installs taught him about working backward from the player
• How Skillz helped Eplay focus on gameplay while handling matchmaking, payments and competitive infrastructure
• Why the Skillz and Beamable combination gives small studios more tools to build, test and iterate faster
• Why Justin started sharing his journey on YouTube to show other developers that success is possible

The big takeaway: competitive games are not won by one great idea. They are built through persistence, player feedback and the willingness to keep testing what flies and what fails.

If you are building your first game, your tenth or your next shot at something bigger, Justin’s story is a reminder not to give up too early. In his words: “When you stick with it long enough, that’s where the magic happens.”

Chapters

00:00 – Martial Arts Discipline

00:38 – An Unconventional Path

02:54 – Starting Eplay Studios

04:17 – Milestone: 2 Million Installs

05:27 – The Importance of Fairness

06:31 – Infrastructure for Small Studios

08:02 – The Skillz/Beamable Bundle

09:21 – Documenting the Journey

11:07 – Future of Competitive VR

12:45 – Advice: Don't Stop Early

Let's Connect

👉🏻 X - https://x.com/pgbiz

👉🏻 LinkedIn Group - https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/pocketgamer-biz/?originalSubdomain=uk

👉🏻 Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/PGbiz

👉🏻 Website - https://www.pocketgamer.biz

Check out more world-class speakers sharing their insights and expertise at one of our events. You can find details of our next event here - https://www.pgconnects.com/next-event

PocketGamer.biz head of content Craig Chapple, deputy editor Paige Cook and news editor Aaron Astle talk through the latest games industry news on the 90th episode of the Week in Mobile Games Podcast.

On this week’s show we discuss:

• Apple CEO Tim Cook's decision to step down and what his legacy will be.
• The removal of Almedia's FreeCash app and what it means for rewarded UA.
• The Super Mario Galaxy Movie's $755m box office.
• How the Pokémon anime looks to be leveraging the mobile games for the new series.
• The importance of government support for games.
• Xbox's decision to cut the cost of Game Pass and remove day-one Call of duty releases from subscriptions.

00:00 - Introduction and Personal Updates08:18 - Tim Cook's Tenure and Apple's Future14:08 - Government Incentives18:36 - Super Mario Movie Success23:42 - The Freecash Controversy29:08 - Xbox Game Pass: Pricing Changes36:57 - Pokemon Anime

** Let's Connect **

👉🏻 Twitter - https://twitter.com/pgbiz

👉🏻 LinkedIn Group - https://www.linkedin.com/company/pocketgamer-biz/

👉🏻 Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/PGbiz

👉🏻 Website - https://www.pocketgamer.biz

👉🏻 Pocket Gamer Connects - https://www.pgconnects.com

👉🏻Pocket Gamer Connects Speaker Submission form - https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdoS5n-vdHu6aU-2d_rR7x1FAgewG51y3nlU1aB8RdetiKaGw/viewform

👉🏻 The Top 50 Mobile Game Makers 2025 - https://www.pocketgamer.biz/the-top-50-mobile-game-makers-of-2025/

👉🏻 Download the PocketGamer.biz Mobile Games Developer Trends Survey Winter 2024/25 report - https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf3tbjUxVkG17CuHHljMblfmUC3DZ6gNAzV8qiz8bAALUXSvQ/viewform

👉🏻 Join the AI Gamechangers newsletter - https://aigamechangers.substack.com

Recorded following Pocket Gamer Connects London, hosts Peggy Anne Salz and Craig Chapple sit down with Nick Poole, CEO of Ukie, for a candid conversation about risk, ambition and what it will take to make the UK the best place to build and scale a games business.

Nick brings a rare perspective to the role. Before leading the UK’s trade body for games, he worked across libraries, museums and chaired Wikimedia UK. His throughline has always been culture, creativity and how institutions shape innovation. Now he’s applying that lens to games.

In this episode, we unpack:

• Why the UK risks becoming an “incubator economy” if it cannot retain IP and talent
• What’s broken in the funding ladder from prototype to scale-up
• Why tax relief is about competitiveness, not handouts
• How risk appetite across the industry has shifted post-2020
• Why studios must build companies, not just games
• What the Games Growth Package, expanded UK Games Fund and new skills initiatives actually mean in practice

Nick is clear: the industry cannot afford to talk itself down. The UK remains one of the most creative and export-driven games markets in the world. But ambition and coordinated action are essential.

We also explore the future of play, the role of generative AI in production pipelines and why automation should unlock creativity, not replace it.

If you are a founder, investor or studio leader navigating 2025–26, this episode is about one thing:

Reclaiming agency.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Pocket Gamer Connects London Highlights

01:14 Guest Intro: Nick Poole's Career Path from Museums to Games

03:57 Understanding Ukie: The Sword and Shield of the UK Games Industry

05:40 Why Historical Government Support for UK Games Has Lacked

07:41 How Studios Can Lobby Effectively: The "Made in the UK" Campaign

11:51 Fixing the "Broken Rungs" in the Game Funding Ladder

14:55 Building the New: Adapting Business Models for 2026 and Beyond

16:14 Tax Reliefs and Fiscal Stimulus: Moving from VGTR to VGEC

22:04 Industrial Strategy: Skills, Trade Missions, and the UK Games Fund

36:58 The Future of AI in Games: Productivity, Curation, and Discovery

Let's Connect

👉🏻 X - https://x.com/pgbiz

👉🏻 LinkedIn Group - https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/pocketgamer-biz/?originalSubdomain=uk

👉🏻 Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/PGbiz

👉🏻 Website - https://www.pocketgamer.biz

Check out more world-class speakers sharing their insights and expertise at one of our events. You can find details of our next event here - https://www.pgconnects.com/next-event

PocketGamer.biz head of content Craig Chapple, deputy editor Paige Cook and news editor Aaron Astle talk through the latest games industry news on the 89th episode of the Week in Mobile Games Podcast.

On this week’s show we discuss:

- Supercell CEO Ilkka Paananen's BAFTA Fellowship award.

- Is BAFTA taking mobile gaming seriously?

- Direct-to-consumer revenue hits record highs in Q4

- Playtika up for sale.

- The Super Mario Galaxy Movie's blockbuster Box Office numbers.

- Game of Thrones Dragonfire gears up for launch.

- The Division Resurgence's opening salvo.

- What a power shift from West to East means for the games industry.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Pokemon Champions

05:47 BAFTA Games Awards and Recognition for Mobile Games

12:40 The Division Resurgence's Opening Salvo

17:47 Super Mario Galaxy Movie Success

22:17 Record D2C revenue

25:59 The West to East shift

29:44 Game of Thrones Dragonfire

33:20 Playtika up for sale

36:08 Wrap-Up

** Let's Connect **

👉🏻 Twitter - https://twitter.com/pgbiz

👉🏻 LinkedIn Group - https://www.linkedin.com/company/pocketgamer-biz/

👉🏻 Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/PGbiz

👉🏻 Website - https://www.pocketgamer.biz

👉🏻 Pocket Gamer Connects - https://www.pgconnects.com

👉🏻Pocket Gamer Connects Speaker Submission form - https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdoS5n-vdHu6aU-2d_rR7x1FAgewG51y3nlU1aB8RdetiKaGw/viewform

👉🏻 The Top 50 Mobile Game Makers 2025 - https://www.pocketgamer.biz/the-top-50-mobile-game-makers-of-2025/

👉🏻 Download the PocketGamer.biz Mobile Games Developer Trends Survey Winter 2024/25 report - https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf3tbjUxVkG17CuHHljMblfmUC3DZ6gNAzV8qiz8bAALUXSvQ/viewform

👉🏻 Join the AI Gamechangers newsletter - https://aigamechangers.substack.com

Recorded live on-site at GDC, hosts Peggy Anne Salz and Craig Chapple sit down with Robert Burnett, Head of New Content at Skillz, and Jon Radoff, CPO of Beamable, to unpack what just changed for developers building competitive mobile games.

With the acquisition of Beamable, Skillz is pushing into a bigger role: giving developers more control over progression, LiveOps and monetisation inside the game, while still handling the infrastructure that is hardest to build well.

As Jon puts it, the goal is to build “a business operating system for a game studio” so developers can focus on gameplay instead of racking up debt. “If you’re spending any of your effort building the tech instead of the fun, you’re accumulating debt that doesn’t do you any good.”

Skillz also unveiled the Pro SDK at GDC, opening up more control inside Unity for developers who want to build competitive games with richer progression, more flexible monetisation and a stronger live-service layer.

In this episode, Peggy and Craig get into:

• Puzzle Blockz, the first live proof point for the combined platform
• What this shift means for smaller teams that want to move faster without building every part of the stack themselves
• How advertising, IAP and competition can start to work together instead of sitting in separate silos

If you are serious about building competitive mobile games that can keep players and grow revenue, start here.

Chapters

00:00 New Ways for Developers to Monetize

01:34 The Acquisition of Beamable by Skillz

01:59 Solving Pain Points with the Pro SDK

04:46 A Business Operating System for Game Studios

06:27 The Role of AI in Rapid Prototyping

10:14 Economies of Scale in Game Development

11:51 From Vibe Coding to Agentic Systems

16:01 Case Study: The Puzzle Blocks Proof of Concept

22:50 Iterating Based on Real-Time Player Feedback

34:31 The Future Roadmap: Intelligence and Automation

Let's Connect

👉🏻 X - https://x.com/pgbiz

👉🏻 LinkedIn Group - https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/pocketgamer-biz/?originalSubdomain=uk

👉🏻 Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/PGbiz

👉🏻 Website - https://www.pocketgamer.biz

Check out more world-class speakers sharing their insights and expertise at one of our events. You can find details of our next event here - https://www.pgconnects.com/next-event

PocketGamer.biz head of content Craig Chapple and news editor Aaron Astle talk through the latest games industry news on the 87th episode of the Week in Mobile Games Podcast.

On this week’s show we discuss:

- How Unity is copying the AppLovin playbook by shedding its publishing division Supersonic to focus on the Vector growth story.

- The Ninth Circuit's decision to deny Apple's rehearing request in the Epic Games App Store dispute.

- The February mobile game charts.

- Sonic Rumble's quiet rebrand to Sonic Rumble Party.

- Fire Emblem Shadows' slow start to life.

00:00 Introduction and Personal Updates

07:21 Unity's Strategic Shift in Advertising

11:13 Sonic Rumble's Rebranding and Performance Analysis

16:52 Apple vs. Epic Games: Legal Updates and Implications

19:36 Fire Emblem Shadows Analysis

23:32 February Mobile Game Charts Insights

** Let's Connect **

👉🏻 Twitter - https://twitter.com/pgbiz

👉🏻 LinkedIn Group - https://www.linkedin.com/company/pocketgamer-biz/

👉🏻 Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/PGbiz

👉🏻 Website - https://www.pocketgamer.biz

👉🏻 Pocket Gamer Connects - https://www.pgconnects.com

👉🏻Pocket Gamer Connects Speaker Submission form - https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdoS5n-vdHu6aU-2d_rR7x1FAgewG51y3nlU1aB8RdetiKaGw/viewform

👉🏻 The Top 50 Mobile Game Makers 2025 - https://www.pocketgamer.biz/the-top-50-mobile-game-makers-of-2025/

👉🏻 Download the PocketGamer.biz Mobile Games Developer Trends Survey Winter 2024/25 report - https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf3tbjUxVkG17CuHHljMblfmUC3DZ6gNAzV8qiz8bAALUXSvQ/viewform

👉🏻 Join the AI Gamechangers newsletter - https://aigamechangers.substack.com

This episode is brought to you in partnership with GameAnalytics. PocketGamer.biz Podcast hosts Peggy Anne Salz and Brian Baglow sit down with Falko Boecker, Head of BD & Customer Success at GameAnalytics, to explore a hard truth about the industry:

Studios are not short on data.

They are short on clarity.

Across rising UA costs, privacy shifts, AI disruption and tighter margins, one thing has become non-negotiable: teams must make better decisions, faster.

But collecting data is not the same as using it well.

Falko brings a rare perspective, having worked across journalism, publishing and business development before moving into analytics. His mission has always been to connect creative thinkers with the business side of games, and data is now the bridge.

In this conversation, we unpack:

• Why “data maturity” is not the same as “data sophistication”
• Where studios get stuck when trying to think full funnel
• Why infrastructure matters less than mindset
• How segmentation moves teams beyond surface-level metrics
• What actually changes between pre-launch and live ops
• Why Roblox and fast-moving ecosystems are redefining how teams react to player behaviour

One of the most important takeaways:

Data does not replace creativity. It sharpens it.

As Falko explains, analytics should not be a black box owned by specialists. It should be accessible across design, product and marketing so teams can align around shared goals instead of siloed assumptions.

We also explore how AI is beginning to shift analytics from reactive dashboards to proactive insight, and where humans still need to drive the decisions.

If you are building a game in 2026, this episode is a reminder that success is not about having more dashboards.

It is about asking better questions.

** Let's Connect **

👉🏻 X - https://x.com/pgbiz

👉🏻 LinkedIn Group - https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/pocketgamer-biz/?originalSubdomain=uk

👉🏻 Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/PGbiz

👉🏻 Website - https://www.pocketgamer.biz

Check out more world-class speakers sharing their insights and expertise at one of our events. You can find details of our next event here - https://www.pgconnects.com/next-event

PocketGamer.biz head of content Craig Chapple, deputy editor Paige Cook and news editor Aaron Astle talk through the latest games industry news on the 87th episode of the Week in Mobile Games Podcast.

On this week’s show we discuss:

• The Epic layoffs and how that reframes its Google settlement and years of court battles to reduce mobile platform fees and remove anti-steering policies.
• Savvy Games Group's CEO Brian Ward's thoughts on M&A, China and rising Eastern influence.
• Duolingo's experiments with a tool to lock other apps until daily lessons are complete.
• Our big interview about the development of Wuthering Waves.
• Roblox's decision to take a slice of in-game brand deals with creators under new advertising rules.
• Savvy's acquisition of Mobile Legends developer Moonton from ByteDance.

** Let's Connect **👉🏻 Twitter -   / pgbiz  👉🏻 LinkedIn Group -   / pocketgamer-biz  👉🏻 Facebook -   / pgbiz  👉🏻 Website - https://www.pocketgamer.biz 👉🏻 Pocket Gamer Connects - https://www.pgconnects.com👉🏻Pocket Gamer Connects Speaker Submission form - https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FA...👉🏻 The Top 50 Mobile Game Makers 2025 - https://www.pocketgamer.biz/the-top-5...👉🏻 Download the PocketGamer.biz Mobile Games Developer Trends Survey Winter 2024/25 report - https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FA...👉🏻 Join the AI Gamechangers newsletter - https://aigamechangers.substack.com

PocketGamer.biz head of content Craig Chapple, deputy editor Paige Cook and news editor Aaron Astle talk through the latest games industry news on the 86th episode of the Week in Mobile Games Podcast.On this week’s show we discuss:- Final thoughts on GDC week and the future of the show.- The recent Google and Epic deal, plus what Epic Games Store GM Steve Allison had to tell us about it.- A visit to King's London studio and comments on its former midcore ambitions.- The BAFTAs continues to sideline mobile games. Are publishers to blame?- PEGI's decision expands age ratings to cover loot boxes and in-game spending.- Fortnite returns to Google Play.** Let's Connect **👉🏻 Twitter - https://twitter.com/pgbiz👉🏻 LinkedIn Group - https://www.linkedin.com/company/pocketgamer-biz/👉🏻 Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/PGbiz👉🏻 Website - https://www.pocketgamer.biz 👉🏻 Pocket Gamer Connects - https://www.pgconnects.com👉🏻Pocket Gamer Connects Speaker Submission form - https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdoS5n-vdHu6aU-2d_rR7x1FAgewG51y3nlU1aB8RdetiKaGw/viewform👉🏻 The Top 50 Mobile Game Makers 2025 - https://www.pocketgamer.biz/the-top-50-mobile-game-makers-of-2025/👉🏻 Download the PocketGamer.biz Mobile Games Developer Trends Survey Winter 2024/25 report - https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf3tbjUxVkG17CuHHljMblfmUC3DZ6gNAzV8qiz8bAALUXSvQ/viewform👉🏻 Join the AI Gamechangers newsletter - https://aigamechangers.substack.com

Recorded on location at Pocket Gamer Connects London, host Peggy Anne Salz sits down with Berkley Egenes, CMO at Xsolla, to examine a structural shift in the industry.

Gaming is no longer just entertainment. It is becoming the commerce layer connecting developers, brands, platforms and players.

Xsolla’s recent rebrand reflects that evolution — moving beyond payments to enable publishing, distribution, promotions and marketplace infrastructure designed to help developers launch, grow and win.

In this conversation, Peggy and Berkley break down:

• Why D2C is now a strategic pillar, not a workaround
• How casual games are outperforming expectations in web shop adoption
• Why Southeast Asia is accelerating faster than many Western markets
• How brands, telecoms and super apps are converging around gaming
• What happens when commerce, loyalty and gameplay start to merge

As Berkley puts it, the stereotype of the “gamer” is gone. Everyone is a gamer. That makes gaming the most powerful engagement layer in digital culture.

When attention lives in games, commerce follows.

This episode explores why the next phase of growth may depend less on transactions inside the app — and more on orchestrating an ecosystem around it.

Chapters

00:00 The Evolving Identity of the Gamer

00:40 Xsolla’s Mission in Video Game Commerce

02:53 Exploring Growth in Southeast Asia

05:07 Unique Ad Experiences and Monetization

07:07 Integrating Non-Endemic Brands into Gaming

09:23 Insights from the Xsolla Report

14:41 The Future of the Gaming Industry

Let's Connect

👉🏻 X - https://x.com/pgbiz

👉🏻 LinkedIn Group - https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/pocketgamer-biz/?originalSubdomain=uk

👉🏻 Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/PGbiz

👉🏻 Website - https://www.pocketgamer.biz

Check out more world-class speakers sharing their insights and expertise at one of our events. You can find details of our next event here - https://www.pgconnects.com/next-event

In Part 2 of this two-part PocketGamer.biz special, host Peggy Anne Salz continues her conversation with Jon Radoff — CEO of Beamable and one of the early architects of online game infrastructure, long before LiveOps became a discipline and games-as-a-service became the norm.

If Part 1 examined why backend now determines competitive advantage, Part 2 tackles the macro reality reshaping every studio’s growth strategy.

Installs have plateaued. Time spent has stabilised. Revenue growth is no longer coming from incremental user acquisition, but from deeper monetisation of existing players. Sensor Tower calls this the “monetisation-first” era, and the message is clear: scale alone is no longer enough.

As Jon puts it: “Games is a services business now. You don’t ship a product and walk away. You run it.”

In this episode, Peggy and Jon unpack what that actually means in practice:

• Why value per player now matters more than volume

• How retention, loyalty and operational excellence have become the real growth levers

• Where monetisation systems, competition frameworks and identity infrastructure reinforce each other

• Why partnership can become a strategic advantage rather than a loss of control

• Where AI lowers operational barriers — and where trusted infrastructure remains essential

This conversation makes one thing explicit: in a monetisation-first environment, infrastructure is not plumbing. It is strategy.

Together, these two episodes explain not just what the Skillz–Beamable integration represents, but why developers who adapt to this new growth model will be structurally better positioned over the next cycle.

Chapters

00:00 - Content That Would Never See the Light of Day

00:42 - Democratize Game Development

01:26 - Wild West Experience

02:49 - Understand Roblox

03:07 - Lesson for the Broader Game Industry

04:28 - Co-creation with Your Player Population

06:58 - Skillz and Beamable

09:08 - Building Your Own 3D Engine

10:44 - Exclusively Creative Industry

13:40 - English Language Programming

17:48 - Unique Technical Architecture of Games

22:57 - The "1 + 1 Equals 3" Merger

Let's Connect

👉🏻 X - https://x.com/pgbiz

👉🏻 LinkedIn Group - https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/pocketgamer-biz/?originalSubdomain=uk

👉🏻 Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/PGbiz

👉🏻 Website - https://www.pocketgamer.biz

Check out more world-class speakers sharing their insights and expertise at one of our events. You can find details of our next event here - https://www.pgconnects.com/next-event

In this PocketGamer.biz episode, hosts Peggy Anne Salz and Craig Chapple sit down with Francesca ReDavid, VP of Product Growth at Mistplay, and Aaron Thandi, Chief Commercial Officer, to examine how rewarded is evolving in what many are calling the monetisation-first era.

For years, rewarded functioned primarily as a UA lever, driving installs and early engagement at scale. But growth dynamics have shifted. Installs have plateaued. Revenue is concentrating deeper in the player journey. Studios are now under pressure to increase lifetime value, not just acquisition volume.

That shift forces a rethink.

Mistplay is preparing to launch a new feature called Playtime Events, designed to combine time-based rewards with contextual in-game milestones. The goal is structural: align rewarded mechanics more closely with how games actually drive engagement and monetisation.

Rather than rewarding time alone, this approach ties incentives to meaningful progression points inside the game experience.

The testing that led to this shift is significant.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• Why rewarded can no longer operate as a simple traffic channel
• How hybrid playtime-plus-task testing drove a 30% lift in playtime and a 20% increase in D30 ROAS
• Why RPG and strategy titles exposed the limits of generic reward structures
• How contextual milestones can reinforce progression loops rather than distract from them
• What UA, AdMon and Product teams must rethink as monetisation becomes the growth engine

As Francesca explains, rewarded increasingly needs to function as a companion to gameplay — embedded in progression, not layered on top of it.

For studios navigating deeper engagement cycles in 2026, this episode explores why the next phase of rewarded will be defined less by installs and more by alignment with monetisation mechanics.

Chapters

00:00 Driving High Performance and Quality Experience

01:34 The Monetization-First Era

04:01 Rewarding High-Quality Users

05:56 Defining Rewarded

07:50 The History of Mistplay in Rewarded

11:34 Rewarded No Longer a Source of Cheap Traffic

15:12 Time Spent as a Key Indicator

29:39 Playtime and In-Game Events

33:38 Playtime Plus Task Mechanics

48:02 Rewarded's Future: Personalization and ML

** Let's Connect **

👉🏻 X - https://x.com/pgbiz

👉🏻 LinkedIn Group - https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/pocketgamer-biz/?originalSubdomain=uk

👉🏻 Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/PGbiz

👉🏻 Website - https://www.pocketgamer.biz

Check out more world-class speakers sharing their insights and expertise at one of our events. You can find details of our next event here - https://www.pgconnects.com/next-event

In Part 1 of this two-part PocketGamer.biz special, hosts Peggy Anne Salz and Brian Baglow sit down with Jon Radoff, CEO of Beamable and an OG architect of online game infrastructure, building persistent systems long before “LiveOps” became a job title, to examine a shift many studios still underestimate.

The pressure is real: move faster, iterate based on real player behaviour and extend lifetime value without burning runway.

Studios know they need LiveOps. They know they need scale. What they often underestimate is where competitive advantage is now determined.

Drawing on decades of building and operating live online games, Jon explains why infrastructure decisions can quietly shape, or sabotage, everything that follows.

Peggy, Brian and Jon explore what Skillz’s acquisition of Beamable’s backend and LiveOps technology means for developers, and how bringing together competition systems, identity, payments and scalable backend services can reduce operational risk while freeing teams to focus on what actually differentiates their game.

The hard truth: “If you’re spending any of your effort building the tech instead of the fun, you’re accumulating debt that doesn’t do you any good.”

Jon makes the case for treating infrastructure as a strategic lever rather than a technical burden and for recognising that games are no longer products you ship, but businesses you operate.

In this episode, you’ll understand:

• Why velocity and behavioural signal now outweigh feature roadmaps
• How backend decisions directly impact runway, trust and long-term scalability
• What unified competition, identity and LiveOps systems unlock for 20-person studios
• Why socially connected mechanics are no longer reserved for massive teams
• How creator-driven ecosystems like Roblox are resetting player expectations

Part 1 closes on a pivotal idea: monetisation matters, but creativity at scale is the multiplier.

In Part 2, the focus shifts outward to the macro forces shaping the industry and why we have entered what Sensor Tower calls the “monetisation-first” era.

Chapters

0:00 Game of Thrones Content Delivery Challenges

3:17 Why Developers Shouldn't Build a Backend

3:36 Aiming High and Iterating Rapidly

4:23 Driving Engagement Through Content and Events

9:10 The Number One Challenge: Velocity

9:38 The Second Problem: Lack of Evidence

12:07 The Need for Both Speed and Evidence

16:15 Monetization as a Design Decision

19:33 Embracing the Social Fabric in Games

23:42 Creating a Regular Content Cadence and Events

Let's Connect

👉🏻 X - https://x.com/pgbiz

👉🏻 LinkedIn Group - https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/pocketgamer-biz/?originalSubdomain=uk

👉🏻 Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/PGbiz

👉🏻 Website - https://www.pocketgamer.biz

Check out more world-class speakers sharing their insights and expertise at one of our events. You can find details of our next event here - https://www.pgconnects.com/next-event

PocketGamer.biz head of content Craig Chapple and news editor Aaron Astle talk through the latest games industry news on the 85th episode of the Week in Mobile Games Podcast.

On this week’s show we discuss:

- The Xbox leadership changes and what it means for Microsoft's games division.

- Pokémon's 30th anniversary.

- The UK ASA's decision to issue an enforcement notice on loot box transparency for mobile game ads and store listings.

- Blizzard's reveal of Overwatch Rush - Another MOBA?!

- Our big interview with the director of the Umamusume: Pretty Derby movie.

** Let's Connect **

👉🏻 Twitter - https://twitter.com/pgbiz

👉🏻 LinkedIn Group - https://www.linkedin.com/company/pocketgamer-biz/

👉🏻 Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/PGbiz

👉🏻 Website - https://www.pocketgamer.biz

👉🏻 Pocket Gamer Connects - https://www.pgconnects.com

👉🏻Pocket Gamer Connects Speaker Submission form - https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdoS5n-vdHu6aU-2d_rR7x1FAgewG51y3nlU1aB8RdetiKaGw/viewform

👉🏻 The Top 50 Mobile Game Makers 2025 - https://www.pocketgamer.biz/the-top-50-mobile-game-makers-of-2025/

👉🏻 Download the PocketGamer.biz Mobile Games Developer Trends Survey Winter 2024/25 report - https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf3tbjUxVkG17CuHHljMblfmUC3DZ6gNAzV8qiz8bAALUXSvQ/viewform

👉🏻 Join the AI Gamechangers newsletter - https://aigamechangers.substack.com

PocketGamer.biz head of content Craig Chapple, deputy editor Paige Cook and news editor Aaron Astle talk through the latest games industry news on the 84th episode of the Week in Mobile Games Podcast.

On this week’s show we discuss:

• Scopely's big deal for Pixel Flow developer Loom Games.
• The January 2026 mobile game revenue and download charts.
• Matthew Ball's State of Video Gaming 2026 report.
• Pokémon Go's PvP revamp.
• The closure of Call of Duty Warzone: Mobile's servers set for April 2026.
• The fall of Unity's shares by 91% since November 2021.

** Let's Connect **

👉🏻 Twitter - https://twitter.com/pgbiz

👉🏻 LinkedIn Group - https://www.linkedin.com/company/pocketgamer-biz/

👉🏻 Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/PGbiz

👉🏻 Website - https://www.pocketgamer.biz

👉🏻 Pocket Gamer Connects - https://www.pgconnects.com

👉🏻Pocket Gamer Connects Speaker Submission form - https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdoS5n-vdHu6aU-2d_rR7x1FAgewG51y3nlU1aB8RdetiKaGw/viewform

👉🏻 The Top 50 Mobile Game Makers 2025 - https://www.pocketgamer.biz/the-top-50-mobile-game-makers-of-2025/

👉🏻 Download the PocketGamer.biz Mobile Games Developer Trends Survey Winter 2024/25 report - https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf3tbjUxVkG17CuHHljMblfmUC3DZ6gNAzV8qiz8bAALUXSvQ/viewform

👉🏻 Join the AI Gamechangers newsletter - https://aigamechangers.substack.com

At PocketGamer Connects London, host Peggy Anne Salz sits down with Cameron Simon, CFO at Offroad Games, whose journey from mining in South Africa to “mining” player data in mobile gaming offers a fresh take on sustainable growth.

The interview grew out of a chance meeting at a dinner hosted by the Mobile Finance Collective, a new community bringing together finance leaders and founders in mobile apps and gaming, and surfaces some genuine gems along the way.

Drawing on a background in heavy industry, Cameron explains how exploration, capital discipline and long-term yield thinking translate directly into player acquisition, LiveOps strategy and monetisation in mobile games.

Key takeaways:

⛏️ The parallels between mining ore bodies and building player value, from discovery and development to maximising lifetime return

📊 How radical transparency around KPIs and runway builds trust and aligns teams around shared financial goals

🎮 Why CFOs who stay close to product and LiveOps make stronger growth decisions

💰 How Offroad Games approaches ad monetisation and D2C partnerships to unlock new revenue streams

🚀 Why sustainable growth and runway protection sit at the centre of every strategic decision

A candid conversation about capital discipline, growth strategy and what it takes to build a mobile studio that survives the cycle.

Chapters:

0:00 Cameron Simon: The "Jack of All Trades" CFO at Offroad Games

2:12 Translating Financial Data to Motivate the Team

3:34 From Mining in South Africa to Mobile Gaming in London

7:10 The Secret to Live Ops and Keeping a Game Fresh

8:29 Partnerships, D2C, and Ad Monetization

12:05 Sustainable Growth and Protecting the Team Runway

** Let's Connect **

👉🏻 X - https://x.com/pgbiz

👉🏻 LinkedIn Group - https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/pocketgamer-biz/?originalSubdomain=uk

👉🏻 Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/PGbiz

👉🏻 Website - https://www.pocketgamer.biz

Check out more world-class speakers sharing their insights and expertise at one of our events. You can find details of our next event here - https://www.pgconnects.com/next-event

PocketGamer.biz head of content Craig Chapple, deputy editor Paige Cook and news editor Aaron Astle talk through the latest games industry news on the 83rd episode of the Week in Mobile Games Podcast.

On this week’s show we take a look at:

• Supercell's financials and CEO Ilkka Paananen's big blog post focusing on mobile game innovation.
• The Clash Royale content creator storm.
• Pokémon and Mario head to the Super Bowl.
• Square Enix's financials and Final Fantasy's future.
• Resident Evil Survival Unit's success and game design.
• Roblox's blowout year and concerns around child safety on the platform.

** Let's Connect **

👉🏻 Twitter - https://twitter.com/pgbiz

👉🏻 LinkedIn Group - https://www.linkedin.com/company/pocketgamer-biz/

👉🏻 Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/PGbiz

👉🏻 Website - https://www.pocketgamer.biz

👉🏻 Pocket Gamer Connects - https://www.pgconnects.com

👉🏻Pocket Gamer Connects Speaker Submission form - https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdoS5n-vdHu6aU-2d_rR7x1FAgewG51y3nlU1aB8RdetiKaGw/viewform

👉🏻 The Top 50 Mobile Game Makers 2025 - https://www.pocketgamer.biz/the-top-50-mobile-game-makers-of-2025/

👉🏻 Download the PocketGamer.biz Mobile Games Developer Trends Survey Winter 2024/25 report - https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf3tbjUxVkG17CuHHljMblfmUC3DZ6gNAzV8qiz8bAALUXSvQ/viewform

👉🏻 Join the AI Gamechangers newsletter - https://aigamechangers.substack.com

Chirag Ambwani, SVP Gaming & Entertainment, Corporate Development & Partnerships at Sensor Tower, discusses the state of mobile gaming, monetization strategies, and the growing influence of AI and non-gaming categories.

In this video:

• Mobile gaming surpasses $90B, with non-gaming apps also hitting record highs
• Short drama emerges as a fast-growing category, led by former gaming publishers
• Blended monetisation (IAP, subscriptions and ads) continues to drive growth
• Puzzle remains strong, while sports and racing decline
• Legacy titles like Clash of Clans and Candy Crush thrive through live ops
• Asia publishers dominate top-grossing charts
• AI is reshaping workflows, optimisation and ad spend
• Sensor Tower expands into PC, console and web store data

Timestamps

00:00 Intro

00:24 The State of Mobile Gaming: $90 Billion and Growing

01:44 The Rise of Short Drama: Former Gaming Companies Lead the Way

03:43 Why Blended Monetization (IAP, Subscriptions, Ads) Is Key

06:20 Legacy Titles and the Dominance of Asia Publishers

09:00 AI Usage: Optimizing Spend and Workflows

Let's Connect

👉🏻 X - https://x.com/pgbiz

👉🏻 LinkedIn Group - https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/pocketgamer-biz/?originalSubdomain=uk

👉🏻 Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/PGbiz

👉🏻 Website - https://www.pocketgamer.biz

Check out more world-class speakers sharing their insights and expertise at one of our events. You can find details of our next event here - https://www.pgconnects.com/next-event

PocketGamer.biz head of content Craig Chapple, deputy editor Paige Cook and news editor Aaron Astle talk through the latest games industry news on the 82nd episode of the Week in Mobile Games Podcast.

On this week’s show we take a look at:

• Google's AI world-building tech Project Genie and why investors are concerned.
• Ares Interactive's $70 million funding round.
• Fire Emblem Heroes' ninth anniversary.
• Nintendo Switch 2 sales.
• Lil Wayne's Clash Royale virtual halftime show.
• Iron Lung's box office success.

** Let's Connect **

👉🏻 Twitter - https://twitter.com/pgbiz

👉🏻 LinkedIn Group - https://www.linkedin.com/company/pocketgamer-biz/

👉🏻 Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/PGbiz

👉🏻 Website - https://www.pocketgamer.biz

👉🏻 Pocket Gamer Connects - https://www.pgconnects.com

👉🏻Pocket Gamer Connects Speaker Submission form - https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdoS5n-vdHu6aU-2d_rR7x1FAgewG51y3nlU1aB8RdetiKaGw/viewform

👉🏻 The Top 50 Mobile Game Makers 2025 - https://www.pocketgamer.biz/the-top-50-mobile-game-makers-of-2025/

👉🏻 Download the PocketGamer.biz Mobile Games Developer Trends Survey Winter 2024/25 report - https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf3tbjUxVkG17CuHHljMblfmUC3DZ6gNAzV8qiz8bAALUXSvQ/viewform

👉🏻 Join the AI Gamechangers newsletter - https://aigamechangers.substack.com

👉🏻 The Top 30 MENA Game Makers 2025 - https://www.pocketgamer.biz/the-top-30-mena-game-makers-of-2025

👉🏻 The mobile games industry trends that shaped 2025 - https://www.pocketgamer.biz/the-mobile-games-industry-trends-that-shaped-2025/

In this PocketGamer.biz episode, hosts Peggy Anne Salz and Brian Baglow sit down with Yevhen Tarasenko, App Growth Consultant and ASO expert, to break down why sustainable organic growth is built on discipline, not shortcuts.

Drawing parallels between ASO and drumming in a metal band, Yevhen explains why teams that treat the app store as a live channel and build always-on systems consistently outperform those chasing quick wins.

You’ll learn:

🥁 Why ASO works like keeping time in a band, requiring consistency, structure and pressure-tested fundamentals

📊 How to prove the real value of organic growth by measuring incrementality and establishing clean baselines

🛠️ What studios should prioritise first, from in-app events to custom product pages, even with limited resources

🤖 Where AI and automation can genuinely help today, including speeding up workflows and reducing manual work by up to 40%

🎮 Why product, marketing and creative teams need to play the same song to unlock sustainable ASO performance

00:00 Intro

01:52 New Year's Resolutions for the Audience

02:36 Guest Introduction: Yevhen Tarasenko

04:06 Defining ASO

05:29 Parallels Between Drumming and ASO

06:40 Rule 1: Treat the Store Like a Live Channel

08:30 iOS 26 Update and Smaller Teams

14:27 Rule 2: Building an Always-On System

22:51 Rule 3: Product, Marketing, and Creative Play the Same Song

28:56 Rule 4: Measure Incrementality and Solo Your Track

Let's Connect

👉🏻 X - https://x.com/pgbiz

👉🏻 LinkedIn Group - https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/pocketgamer-biz/?originalSubdomain=uk

👉🏻 Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/PGbiz

👉🏻 Website - https://www.pocketgamer.biz

Check out more world-class speakers sharing their insights and expertise at one of our events. You can find details of our next event here - https://www.pgconnects.com/next-event

PocketGamer.biz head of content Craig Chapple, deputy editor Paige Cook and news editor Aaron Astle talk through the latest games industry news on the 81st episode of the Week in Mobile Games Podcast.

On this week’s show we take a look at:

• What happened to Big Fish Games.
• Ubisoft's latest job cuts and restructure.
• The latest controversial AppLovin report.
• King's launch of daily game Candy Crush Crushable on Yahoo Games.
• Pokémon Go experiments with a new strategy for its lucrative Go Tour event.
• Netflix's cloud-first games strategy.

** Let's Connect **

👉🏻 Twitter - https://twitter.com/pgbiz

👉🏻 LinkedIn Group - https://www.linkedin.com/company/pocketgamer-biz/

👉🏻 Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/PGbiz

👉🏻 Website - https://www.pocketgamer.biz

👉🏻 Pocket Gamer Connects - https://www.pgconnects.com

👉🏻Pocket Gamer Connects Speaker Submission form - https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdoS5n-vdHu6aU-2d_rR7x1FAgewG51y3nlU1aB8RdetiKaGw/viewform

👉🏻 The Top 50 Mobile Game Makers 2025 - https://www.pocketgamer.biz/the-top-50-mobile-game-makers-of-2025/

👉🏻 Download the PocketGamer.biz Mobile Games Developer Trends Survey Winter 2024/25 report - https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf3tbjUxVkG17CuHHljMblfmUC3DZ6gNAzV8qiz8bAALUXSvQ/viewform

👉🏻 Join the AI Gamechangers newsletter - https://aigamechangers.substack.com

👉🏻 The Top 30 MENA Game Makers 2025 - https://www.pocketgamer.biz/the-top-30-mena-game-makers-of-2025

👉🏻 The mobile games industry trends that shaped 2025 - https://www.pocketgamer.biz/the-mobile-games-industry-trends-that-shaped-2025/

PocketGamer.biz head of content Craig Chapple and news editor Aaron Astle discuss insights and takeaways from Pocket Gamer Connects London 2026 on the 80th episode of the Week in Mobile Games Podcast.

On this week’s show we take a look at:

• Games industry optimism for 2026 and beyond.
• The state of the UK games industry and the historical lack of government support.
• The direct-to-consumer revolution (again).
• User acquisition challenges.
• The AI movement.
• And more!

You can check out our article here for more analysis and takeaways from our time at PGC London. 

** Let's Connect **

👉🏻 Twitter - https://twitter.com/pgbiz

👉🏻 LinkedIn Group - https://www.linkedin.com/company/pocketgamer-biz/

👉🏻 Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/PGbiz

👉🏻 Website - https://www.pocketgamer.biz

👉🏻 Pocket Gamer Connects - https://www.pgconnects.com

👉🏻Pocket Gamer Connects Speaker Submission form - https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdoS5n-vdHu6aU-2d_rR7x1FAgewG51y3nlU1aB8RdetiKaGw/viewform

👉🏻 The Top 50 Mobile Game Makers 2025 - https://www.pocketgamer.biz/the-top-50-mobile-game-makers-of-2025/

👉🏻 Download the PocketGamer.biz Mobile Games Developer Trends Survey Winter 2024/25 report - https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf3tbjUxVkG17CuHHljMblfmUC3DZ6gNAzV8qiz8bAALUXSvQ/viewform

👉🏻 Join the AI Gamechangers newsletter - https://aigamechangers.substack.com

👉🏻 The Top 30 MENA Game Makers 2025 - https://www.pocketgamer.biz/the-top-30-mena-game-makers-of-2025

👉🏻 The mobile games industry trends that shaped 2025 - https://www.pocketgamer.biz/the-mobile-games-industry-trends-that-shaped-2025/

In this PocketGamer.biz episode, host Peggy Anne Salz sits down with Martzel de Domingo, Head of Global Media and UA at Ubisoft, to unpack the tricks and traps marketers need to watch as measurement evolves and last-click attribution stops telling the full story.

Martzel also shares how Ubisoft approaches measurement for large mobile IP launches like Rainbow Six Mobile and The Division Resurgence, balancing performance, brand, creators and CTV across the funnel.

You’ll learn:

• Why CPI and ROAS alone fall short, and how Ubisoft measures growth more holistically by factoring in incrementality, organics, K-factor and the true impact of multi-channel campaigns

• What rebuilding a privacy-first measurement stack looks like in practice, from navigating regulation to working with fewer but higher-quality signals

• Where AI and automation add real value today, including creative production, modelling support and MMM inputs, and where human judgment still matters most

• The non-negotiables of a modern growth stack, including strong LTV foundations, incrementality testing and independent frameworks that help teams make confident decisions beyond attribution

** Let's Connect **

👉🏻 X - https://x.com/pgbiz

👉🏻 LinkedIn Group - https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/pocketgamer-biz/?originalSubdomain=uk

👉🏻 Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/PGbiz

👉🏻 Website - https://www.pocketgamer.biz

Check out more world-class speakers sharing their insights and expertise at one of our events. You can find details of our next event here - https://www.pgconnects.com/next-event

PocketGamer.biz head of content Craig Chapple, news editor Aaron Astle, and deputy editor Paige Cook talk through the latest games industry news on the 79th episode of the Week in Mobile Games Podcast.

On this week’s show we take a look at:

- What's in store for Pocket Gamer Connects London on January 19th and 20th!

- Playtika's latest round of layoffs across the company and the role of AI.

- Deep cuts at Meta Reality Labs and what it means for the future of Meta's VR plans.

- Ubisoft's Abu Dhabi redundancies and the publisher's continued turmoil.

- The Paramount and Netflix battle for Warner Bros. heats up with a legal battle.

- Meanwhile, fate decided to cut out Aaron's recording after 15 minutes. Curious what the universe's grand plans for those lost segments are.

** Let's Connect **

👉🏻 Twitter - https://twitter.com/pgbiz

👉🏻 LinkedIn Group - https://www.linkedin.com/company/pocketgamer-biz/

👉🏻 Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/PGbiz

👉🏻 Website - https://www.pocketgamer.biz

👉🏻 Pocket Gamer Connects - https://www.pgconnects.com

👉🏻Pocket Gamer Connects Speaker Submission form - https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdoS5n-vdHu6aU-2d_rR7x1FAgewG51y3nlU1aB8RdetiKaGw/viewform

👉🏻 The Top 50 Mobile Game Makers 2025 - https://www.pocketgamer.biz/the-top-50-mobile-game-makers-of-2025/

👉🏻 Download the PocketGamer.biz Mobile Games Developer Trends Survey Winter 2024/25 report - https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf3tbjUxVkG17CuHHljMblfmUC3DZ6gNAzV8qiz8bAALUXSvQ/viewform

👉🏻 Join the AI Gamechangers newsletter - https://aigamechangers.substack.com

👉🏻 The Top 30 MENA Game Makers 2025 - https://www.pocketgamer.biz/the-top-30-mena-game-makers-of-2025

👉🏻 The mobile games industry trends that shaped 2025 - https://www.pocketgamer.biz/the-mobile-games-industry-trends-that-shaped-2025/

For the latest episode of the PocketGamer.biz Podcast, we got the chance to go deeper into the Angry Birds story. We chat with three experts on the matter about the big spin-offs, and get lessons from the key marketing beats with three experts on the matter.

Pascal Clarysse is a long-time industry marketing expert, who is now the CEO and founder of Big Karma. He has literally written the book on Angry Birds, recently releasing The Slingshot Formula: How Angry Birds Launched Their Way from Indie Game to Global Icon. The book delves into the business tactics, marketing strategies and stunts that helped build Angry Birds’ popularity in the eyes of the public.

We’ve also got two of the leaders who were right there at Rovio during Angry Birds’ rise. We have Naz Amarchi-Cuevas, who was the EVP of global consumer products licensing at Rovio. She’s since worked at SYBO, Scopely and now has her own business, 212 Strategy Consultancy.

We also have Marja Konttinen, former marketing director at Rovio, who later worked at Lightneer, Flaregames, Hatch, Lockwood and others. She now has her own consulting agency called Transparent Eyeball.

The show covers:

• Why now was the right time to release a book on the rise of Angry Birds.
• The launch of Angry Birds Rio.
• How Angry Birds Space and the partnership with NASA came about - as well as the famous Space Needle stunt.
• How Angry Birds Star Wars came to be and what it was like working with Lucasfilm.
• Plus the lessons learned from the height of Angry Birds’ popularity.
• And more!

PocketGamer.biz head of content Craig Chapple, news editor Aaron Astle, and deputy editor Paige Cook talk through the latest games industry news on the 78th episode of the Week in Mobile Games Podcast.

On this week’s show we take a look what 2026 has in store for the games industry, covering:

- The AI revolution.

- The unexpected consequences for gaming from global political tensions.

- The continued rise of China.

- Transmedia trends.

- What's in store for direct-to-consumer.

- And more!

** Let's Connect **

👉🏻 Twitter - https://twitter.com/pgbiz

👉🏻 LinkedIn Group - https://www.linkedin.com/company/pocketgamer-biz/

👉🏻 Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/PGbiz

👉🏻 Website - https://www.pocketgamer.biz

👉🏻 Pocket Gamer Connects - https://www.pgconnects.com

👉🏻Pocket Gamer Connects Speaker Submission form - https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdoS5n-vdHu6aU-2d_rR7x1FAgewG51y3nlU1aB8RdetiKaGw/viewform

👉🏻 The Top 50 Mobile Game Makers 2025 - https://www.pocketgamer.biz/the-top-50-mobile-game-makers-of-2025/

👉🏻 Download the PocketGamer.biz Mobile Games Developer Trends Survey Winter 2024/25 report - https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf3tbjUxVkG17CuHHljMblfmUC3DZ6gNAzV8qiz8bAALUXSvQ/viewform

👉🏻 Join the AI Gamechangers newsletter - https://aigamechangers.substack.com

👉🏻 The Top 30 MENA Game Makers 2025 - https://www.pocketgamer.biz/the-top-30-mena-game-makers-of-2025

👉🏻 The mobile games industry trends that shaped 2025 - https://www.pocketgamer.biz/the-mobile-games-industry-trends-that-shaped-2025/

👉🏻The big games industry trends and stories to watch in 2026 - https://www.pocketgamer.biz/the-big-games-industry-trends-and-stories-to-watch-in-2026/

Retargeting isn’t a tactic anymore—it’s a must-have.

In this PocketGamer.biz episode, Kentaro Sugiura (Lead UA Manager, Rovio) and Nick Blake (Head of Growth, Bigabid) join us to explore how leading game studios are leveling up their re-engagement strategies in 2025 and beyond.

From redefining the inactive window (spoiler: 14 days might be your sweet spot) to testing icon changes for organic lift, this episode covers practical, measurable ways to stop wasting ad spend and bring lapsed players back.

🎯 Learn how Rovio segments audiences for high-LTV recovery, how Bigabid enables retargeting on iOS again, and how both teams use creative refreshes, A/B testing, and incrementality measurement to drive results across the game lifecycle.

Kentaro Sugiura, Rovio:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kentarosugiura/

Rovio: https://www.rovio.com 

Nick Blake, Bigabid:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickdblake/ 

Bigabid

https://www.bigabid.com 

#Retargeting #MobileGames #UserAcquisition #GameMarketing #Bigabid #Rovio #PocketGamer #Incrementality #CreativeTesting #GameGrowth #LTV #PerformanceMarketing

PocketGamer.biz head of content Craig Chapple and news editor Aaron Astle talk through the latest games industry news on the 77th episode of the Week in Mobile Games Podcast.

On this week’s show we take a look at the biggest trends of the year. We cover:

• 2025 market data from Newzoo and the world's highest grossing games, most downloaded titles, and top publishers, per AppMagic estimates.
• China's rising global influence.
• How developers are utilising generative AI and what it means for the industry.
• The world of transmedia and whether there are any practical gains for publishers.
• How legal battles and regulators are changing the shape of the mobile games sector and sparking the direct-to-consumer revolution.
• Why apps are taking over games on the App Store.
• Craig's nightmare Christmas tree story.

** Let's Connect **

👉🏻 Twitter - https://twitter.com/pgbiz

👉🏻 LinkedIn Group - https://www.linkedin.com/company/pocketgamer-biz/

👉🏻 Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/PGbiz

👉🏻 Website - https://www.pocketgamer.biz

👉🏻 Pocket Gamer Connects - https://www.pgconnects.com

👉🏻Pocket Gamer Connects Speaker Submission form - https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdoS5n-vdHu6aU-2d_rR7x1FAgewG51y3nlU1aB8RdetiKaGw/viewform

👉🏻 The Top 50 Mobile Game Makers 2025 - https://www.pocketgamer.biz/the-top-50-mobile-game-makers-of-2025/

👉🏻 Download the PocketGamer.biz Mobile Games Developer Trends Survey Winter 2024/25 report - https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf3tbjUxVkG17CuHHljMblfmUC3DZ6gNAzV8qiz8bAALUXSvQ/viewform

👉🏻 Join the AI Gamechangers newsletter - https://aigamechangers.substack.com

👉🏻 The Top 30 MENA Game Makers 2025 - https://www.pocketgamer.biz/the-top-30-mena-game-makers-of-2025

👉🏻 The mobile games industry trends that shaped 2025 - https://www.pocketgamer.biz/the-mobile-games-industry-trends-that-shaped-2025/

In this PocketGamer.biz episode, Peggy Anne Salz sits down with Lemon Choi (founder of HyperJoy and author of Lemon Game Talks) to unpack the rise of WeChat mini games in China and what this “mini game Gold Rush” means for studios in Vietnam and the West.

• What mini games really are – a no-download app store inside super apps – and why frictionless UX, instant play and social sharing are driving explosive growth
• Inside the numbers: a $7B market growing 15% year on year, 500M monthly players, 400K active developers and hit titles making more than $1M per day on the WeChat mini game channel alone
• How Chinese teams design monetization and deep meta systems first, then layer on simple, accessible gameplay to build long-term LTV and staying power
• Why the best studios treat UA, re-engagement and CRM as one connected strategy, using creative testing, segmentation and localisation to turn ads into a seamless part of the player journey
• A realistic playbook for Western and Vietnamese studios: when a proven title should go WeChat mini game, how to test demand with UA creatives before full launch and why social features and community are non-negotiable
• Lemon’s bold prediction for 2026 – and why he believes more WeChat-born mini games will break into the US top-grossing charts

Recorded on location at Think Apps @ The Google Apps Summit APAC in Vietnam.