Pokémon Trading Cards

Hi, Tibi here, hope you're having a great day! ??

Welcome to the #42 FREE edition of the Game Vibe Weekly Newsletter!

Subscribe on Substack and you'll get a free eBook about the success stories of 5 indie games that I love.

This newsletter is created out of passion for video games and industry news. The intention is to share weekly trends, business insights and top performing games, all in a nice format, and build a vibrant community together.

Happy reading!

?? Vibe of the Day

Let's start the day with a hit.

My recommendation is Dr. Dre - The Next Episode (Official Music Video) ft. Snoop Dogg, Kurupt, Nate Dogg on Youtube or Spotify .

Because we're living The Next Episode in entertainment, as you'll see soon.

Feeling the vibes? ??

?? Highlights

• Russia hit Google with a $20 decillion fine.
• Steam launched its game recording feature.
• The Vatican introduced its first anime mascot.
• 50 million mods were downloaded in Baldur's Gate 3.
• Only 18% of children in Europe are allowed to spend money in games.
• Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket made 10 million downloads in 5 days.
• A Snoop Dog Fortnite concert, and lots of goodies.
• Enjoy!

?? Interesting

?? Russia has slapped Google with a mind-boggling fine of $20 decillion for blocking state-run YouTube channels, a figure so astronomical it makes the world's GDP look like pocket change! I mean, can you blame Putin for trying? ??

?? Nintendo's new music app is a hit with over 2,000 tracks from 23 games, but it flops by not crediting the talented composers behind those iconic tunes.

?? The US Copyright Office rejected proposals that would allow libraries to remotely share classic games, leaving 87% of titles released before 2010 at risk of being lost forever.

?? The Vatican has introduced its first anime mascot, Luce, aiming to connect with younger audiences through pop culture.

?? Google has accused Microsoft of trying to "free-ride" on the success of the Play Store amid Epic Games' ongoing legal battle.

? Workers at Don't Nod are set to strike on November 8, in response to a redundancy plan that threatens 69 jobs, demanding a say in decision-making.

?? Narrative design in mobile games is about making the players feel like heroes in their own epic tales. Check out this article from Jedidjah Julia Noomen working on Lily's Garden.

?? Being a gaming content creator sounds fun, but it often comes with stress, isolation, and challenges, especially for disabled creators who face even more hurdles.

?? A recent 益普索 survey reveals that only 18% of children in Europe are allowed to spend money on in-game purchases, with average monthly spending dropping from €39 to €31.

?? The 2024 League of Legends Championship just became the most-watched esports event ever, racking up a staggering 6.9 million peak viewers.

?? The IWGB - Independent Workers Union of Great Britain hit a milestone with over 1,500 members and launched a manifesto aimed at tackling job security and the notorious crunch culture in the UK gaming industry.

?? A staggering 21% of European games professionals were laid off in the past year, with many finding new jobs while others are still on the hunt. Reach out to folks like Amir Satvat or Mirko Minenza if you need resources or help.

?? Mobile

?? In October, Honor of Kings topped the mobile revenue charts with $152.9 million, while Mini Games: Calm & Relax led downloads with an impressive 36.5 million players getting their chill on.

?? Pokémon Sleep just had a spooky Halloween boost , with a 107% revenue spike, bringing in $23.3 million during the event! Nice!

?? Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket has already hit 10 million downloads and raked in a whopping $23.2 million in just 5 days! Have you played it? I'll put a link to it at the end.

?? Apple is rolling out AI-generated app review summaries in iOS 18.1, making it easier for users to find the best apps without reading lengthy reviews, because who has time for that?

?? Did you know about the Google Play Store Listing Certificate? It helps app developers boost their visibility and installs on the Play Store. I'm going to take the course .

?? A Sensor Tower reports says that in the first half of 2024, Southeast Asia saw mobile game downloads hit 4.2 billion (up 3.4%), but revenue dipped to $1.16 billion, a 3% decline.

? Whiteout Survival made $95 million in revenue in September, and Last War: Survival raking in $105 million. People like survival mobile games.

? Honor of Kings surpassed 100 million daily active users on October 26, with vast majority of its players from China. Incredible!

?? Want to know how you can get crafty by faking extended draw distances to make your mobile games look better?

?? Game to Wishlist

I just love indie games and admire the developers behind them. And today I have an interesting and very unique approach on the RTS genre.

Empire of the Ants is a photorealistic, third-person real-time strategy game where you command your insect legions of ants in epic battles. Can you get more unique than that?

And they just launched yesterday! ?? Congrats to Tower Five developer and Microids publisher!

You can wishlist the game here on Steam, if you like it. It will help them a lot!

?? This is not an Ad, but if any of you want to collaborate on that, give me a shout my dear game maker friends!

?? PC & Console

?? EA announced that The Sims 4 gained an impressive 15 million new players in 2024, bringing its total to 85 million, while Madden NFL and College Football are projected to cross $1 billion in sales by next spring.

?? Baldur's Gate 3 has hit a staggering 50 million mod downloads in just 2 months, with 10,000 players humorously renaming the character Withers to "Bone Daddy".

?? Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 has officially become the biggest launch in franchise history, boasting record-breaking numbers with over 52% of active Xbox Series X/S players diving in on day one.

??? Valve now requires game developers on Steam to disclose if their games use kernel-level anti-cheat software, ensuring players know what they're installing and boosting transparency in the gaming world.

?? Overdesigning your game can turn it into a confusing mess, making it feel more like a chore than fun, so keep it simple and focus on what really matters.

? No Man's Sky's engine programmer fixed a player's 611-hour save file, proving that when you invest that much time, the gamers deserves a little TLC!

?? Xbox's hardware revenue just took a nosedive, plummeting 42% year-over-year, marking the worst sales drop since the Series X/S launched in 2020.

?? Steam has officially launched its game recording feature, allowing users on PC, Mac, and Steam Deck to easily capture, clip, and share gameplay moments.

?? Phasmophobia has officially spooked its way to over 20 million copies sold across PC and consoles, making ghost hunting a thriving business!

?? Alan Wake 2 has recouped over 80% of its development and marketing costs, thanks to strong sales and two expansions, with 1.3 million copies sold.

? Fortnite is ditching its confusing Battle Pass currencies for a simpler XP system, allowing players to unlock rewards across all game modes by December 1.

?? Congrats to the few MacBook users who finally will be getting in on the Cyberpunk 2077 action.

?? Have you seen any other cool news? Drop me a message and I can include them in the next edition.

??? Events

?? Snoop Dogg and Ice Spice surprised fans with a live concert in Times Square, streamed in-game on Fortnite, showcasing Epic Games' innovative approach to blending virtual and real-world experiences!

?? Join over 1,000 game industry pros for 2 days of networking and insights near the beautiful Dead Sea on November 9-10 at the Pocket Gamer Connects Jordan event! Have you been to the Helsinki event?

?? Africa Games Week in Cape Town is leveling up the gaming scene, uniting industry pros and enthusiasts for its 7th edition, where creativity and collaboration thrive, between 2 – 5 December. Are you going?

?? Get ready for the IndieGameBusiness Leadership Conference on December 11, 2024, where you can join industry pros for free lectures and panels that will supercharge your leadership skills in the gaming world.

?? Voting is now open for the Pocket Gamer Connects Awards 2024, where you can choose your favorite mobile games from over 200 finalists across 20 diverse categories until December 6. Make your voice heard!

?? Know any other cool events? Drop me a message and I can include them in the next edition.

?? VR/AR

?? Meta's Reality Labs just reported a whopping $4.4 billion loss in Q3 2024, despite a 29% revenue bump to $270 million, guess the metaverse isn't quite paying off yet!

?? Apple has hit the brakes on its cheaper Vision Pro, pushing its release beyond 2027, while the upgraded M5 chip version will arrive in 2025.

??? Podcasts

Any podcast lovers here? I got you!

?? This Wednesday I'm glad that I took part in an interesting and valuable Linkedin livecast . How to Survive in the Gaming Industry: Actionable steps for Leaders with Alexis Gresoviac ex-Managing Director at Blizzard, Gameloft and Huuuge and host Harry Phokou . It's filled with huge lessons for any studio leader. Enjoy!

?? A fun talk from the Deconstructor of Fun team about Netflix’s strange announcement, Pokemon’s new mobile game, Space Ape acquisition, Call of Duties monster success and more. Enjoy!

?? Business

?? Supercell has officially acquired 100% of Space Ape, marking its first London studio. It previously acquired a majority stake in Space Ape in 2017.

?? Ubisoft's financial report reveals a tough half-year, with Star Wars Outlaws selling only 1 million copies instead of the expected 5 million, leading to a 30% cut in net bookings forecast.

?? Microsoft’s gaming revenue skyrocketed by 43% this quarter, thanks to the Activision acquisition, bringing in an extra $1.8 billion, while Xbox hardware sales took a hit, dropping 29%.

?? GameSpot just faced another round of layoffs , with around 40 to 50 employees affected, marking the second round of cuts after being acquired by Fandom for $55 million.

?? Unity's $4.4 billion merger with ironSource aims to create a powerhouse platform for mobile game developers, but mismanagement has led to a toxic atmosphere, unhappy staff and dozens of resignations.

?? Swoove Studios just secured $7.5 million in seed funding , boosting their total to $11 million since 2020, as they gear up to take the 3D animation world by storm. Congrats!

?? Roblox reported $1.1 billion in bookings for Q3, a 34% jump from last year, thanks to 88.9 million daily active users getting their game on!

?? Netflix's Mike Verdu is now the VP of GenAI for Games, claiming generative AI will spark a "once in a generation" revolution in game development, aiming to create "mind-blowing" experiences for players.

?? Levellr raised $1.75 million to supercharge Discord management tools, helping brands connect better with their superfans.

?? Atari acquired the Transport Tycoon IP, aiming to revitalize the classic franchise for a new generation of players.

?? Nintendo has lowered its fiscal forecast as Switch hardware sales plummeted by 31% and software sales dropped by 27.6% year-on-year.

?? Cool Stuff

??? Dive into Blender 4.3's magic where you can turn your 2D grease pencil doodles into 3D meshes using Geometry Nodes, plus, snag a free project file to get started with this tutorial!

?? This week's best of Blender artists on BlenderNation reminded me of a lot of cosy games, but more so of Simpler Times by Stoneskip . Have you played it? It's a game made in Brasov, where I live. Check out the rest of the illustrations , they're beautiful!

?? Game 2 Play

My recommendation for this week is none other than Pokémon TCG Pocket!

?? As said above, The Pokémon TCG Pocket has officially launched worldwide, offering fans a fresh mobile experience with daily free booster packs and exclusive cards to ignite the completionist in every collector!

I've been waiting for this game since I was a kid and I collected the physical cards!

You can use binders or display boards to showcase your cards and share them with the world.

You can try it out on iOS and Android . I know I will!

Have fun!

?? This is not an Ad, but if any of you want to collaborate on that, give me a shout my dear friends!

?? You're Awesome!

Wow, you've made it to the end!

I hope you found this newsletter fun and interesting!

Let me know what you think in the comments if you'd like, if not that's cool, thanks for reading!

Reach out if you’d like to collaborate on anything.

Have a great day! ??

Tibi