PocketGamer.biz Podcast

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 highsShort drama emerges as a fast-growing category, led by former gaming publishersBlended monetisation (IAP, subscriptions and ads) continues to drive growthPuzzle remains strong, while sports and racing declineLegacy titles like Clash of Clans and Candy Crush thrive through live opsAsia publishers dominate top-grossing chartsAI is reshaping workflows, optimisation and ad spendSensor Tower expands into PC, console and web store dataTimestamps00:00 Intro00:24 The State of Mobile Gaming: $90 Billion and Growing01:44 The Rise of Short Drama: Former Gaming Companies Lead the Way03:43 Why Blended Monetization (IAP, Subscriptions, Ads) Is Key06:20 Legacy Titles and the Dominance of Asia Publishers09:00 AI Usage: Optimizing Spend and WorkflowsLet'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 performance00:00 Intro01:52 New Year's Resolutions for the Audience02:36 Guest Introduction: Yevhen Tarasenko04:06 Defining ASO05:29 Parallels Between Drumming and ASO06:40 Rule 1: Treat the Store Like a Live Channel08:30 iOS 26 Update and Smaller Teams14:27 Rule 2: Building an Always-On System22:51 Rule 3: Product, Marketing, and Creative Play the Same Song28:56 Rule 4: Measure Incrementality and Solo Your TrackLet'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/