Neil Long

I run and cover the games industry. Tips: neil at mobilegamer dot biz. Ex-Apple, Edge, ONM, MCV

[Neil Long @Neil_Long_]

People kept asking for a podcast, so here it is: every week I go on a walk and tell you what’s happening in the mobile games business: https://t.co/0Cxyz3EeB0

[mobilegamer.biz @mobilegamerbiz]

In this week’s data digest: Türkiye, US, Asia and MENA market stats, big Pokémon Go fest numbers, another round of UA funding and more: https://t.co/qpnxjWUPEZ

[mobilegamer.biz @mobilegamerbiz]

There were no mobile games at Summer Game Fest, and for good reason: there are already too many games trying to serve this relatively small hardcore audience, and mobile game marketers have already found better ways to reach the players they want to: https://t.co/IRWU48xsNP

[mobilegamer.biz @mobilegamerbiz]

New Xbox chief strategy officer Matthew Ball says his first task is to rescue its console business – so growing Microsoft’s presence in mobile and PC will have to wait: https://t.co/fMbK6arqbF

[Christopher Dring @Chris_Dring]

The Game Business Live is done! We will be posting the videos soon. But in the meantime, here is @Neil_Long_’s write-up of my chat with Matthew Ball

https://t.co/E1GpYFFqt3

[The Game Business @thegamebusiness]

We will be posting The Game Business Live videos soon. But in the meantime, check out @Neil_Long_’s write-up of our chat with Xbox chief strategy officer Matthew Ball

https://t.co/wuAuwurCLv

[mobilegamer.biz @mobilegamerbiz]

Supercell’s US game development operation appears to be winding down - one game has been killed, and the other is MIA after most of its core staff departed: https://t.co/6joc0nXSzW

[mobilegamer.biz @mobilegamerbiz]

Here’s your latest soft launch update, featuring the most notable games in beta testing from Blizzard, Century, EA, Hoyoverse, Tencent, Playrix, Moon Active and more: https://t.co/eGV2OZYOHG

[Neil Long @Neil_Long_]

My write up of the big SGF showcase on @GIBiz is live https://t.co/qeYSfVkXO6

[mobilegamer.biz @mobilegamerbiz]

Update: Metacore has now confirmed that it'll close its offices in Germany and Sweden, and there will be 159 job cuts in Finland. The Supercell acquisition is still being finalised: https://t.co/joTzVzUlBM

[mobilegamer.biz @mobilegamerbiz]

In new game digest this week: Game of Thrones, FIFA, Pokémon, Masters of the Universe, Talking Tom, Barbie, new titles from Noodlecake and Nuverse plus a load of games participating in the Green Game Jam: https://t.co/tHmZqKSXZh

[Neil Long @Neil_Long_]

In the podcast this week: Supercell, King and Sybo slam EU plan, Atari buys Hipster Whale, Zynga's Mark Pincus on copycats and plenty more: https://t.co/Q6iMFdickr

[mobilegamer.biz @mobilegamerbiz]

Hit Nintendo Switch game Pokémon Champions is coming to iOS and Android on June 17: https://t.co/9ezExXjK6c

[mobilegamer.biz @mobilegamerbiz]

The Liftoff IPO finally has lift-off: the adtech firm is today offering 19m shares for sale to the public at $23 each, a raise of $437m that values the firm at $3.83bn: https://t.co/v7Gj8Tw3tn

[Neil Long @Neil_Long_]

These proposals are...interesting - players would get a pop-up whenever they spend or buy virtual currency, a bit like how websites ask about cookies

[mobilegamer.biz @mobilegamerbiz]

Supercell, King and Sybo bosses hit out at "scary" EU proposals that, if approved, could make free to play games "unplayable" in the region: https://t.co/NP7EEU2Vaa

[Neil Long @Neil_Long_]

Also this week: big Golf Rival and NetEase numbers, new games coming to China, Hoyoverse's big AI investment and an $8.5m raise for a new game engine

[mobilegamer.biz @mobilegamerbiz]

In this week’s data digest there's King’s €6bn EU report, Balatro publisher Playstack sold, more UA finance, April’s top games and plenty more: https://t.co/Tgvpg6R4fO

[mobilegamer.biz @mobilegamerbiz]

Update: The Apple Design Award winners include Is This Seat Taken?, Pine Hearts, Jinja's Garden and new-to-iOS Consume Me: https://t.co/nGOAgjFqas

[mobilegamer.biz @mobilegamerbiz]

Mattel Game Studios’ debut is Masters of the Universe tie-in Skeletor: Until Next Time. It’s the first of two titles expected to launch this year from the toy giant’s new mobile game label: https://t.co/hXAqlRs3ft

[Neil Long @Neil_Long_]

“We need to get comfortable copying what already works (legally), so we can spend all our time and energy on the novel innovation that actually excites us and our users.”

[mobilegamer.biz @mobilegamerbiz]

@zynga founder @markpinc urges mobile game designers to ignore their egos and just copy what works in his new book, Life at the Speed of Play: "Only a master craftsman can spot excellence and be comfortable copying it" https://t.co/F04PzBHgfw

[mobilegamer.biz @mobilegamerbiz]

Multi-award winning indie game Consume Me is now on iOS – it’s $9.99 and developer Jenny Jiao Hsio says the mobile edition is “the best way to play the game” https://t.co/VfxR6oxfFO

[mobilegamer.biz @mobilegamerbiz]

The Simpsons are taking over Monopoly Go: a new live ops and marketing blitz begins on June 3, and includes an animated short in which Will Ferrell's Mr. Monopoly faces off against Mr Burns: https://t.co/61ViB572yJ