PocketGamer.biz Podcast

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 D...

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...

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 Ni...

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...

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% platfo...

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 W...

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...

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...

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...

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 Bal l as chief strategy officer....

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 Swit...

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. A...

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...

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 Mari...

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 chaire...

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...

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 g...

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...

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...

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 G...

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...

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, distribu...

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 studi...

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 h...

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...