2015
Company
Documents about 2015
Is the Western mobile games industry losing to China?
The mobile gaming industry in Western markets—defined as North America, Europe, and Australia—is experiencing a significant shift in market share, with Chinese, Hong Kong, and Singaporean publishers now controlling 30% of total revenue, up from 16% in 2019.
- Chinese, Hong Kong, and Singaporean publishers have nearly doubled their Western mobile market share from 16% in 2019 to 30% in 2026.
- Chinese publishers now control 60% of the strategy genre revenue, a massive increase from 11% in 2015, driven by integrating hyper-casual mechanics into 4X strategy frameworks.
- While the overall mobile market grew by 3% in Q1 2026, total downloads dropped by 13%, signaling that revenue is increasingly consolidated among established titles at the expense of new entrants.
UK Games Fund: A Fresh Start for Growth
The UK Games Fund has secured a further £28.5 million over the next three years to keep supporting the UK's independent game development sector.
- The UK Games Fund has secured £28.5 million in new government funding to support independent developers over the next three years.
- The funding is divided into three tiers: £20,000 for the Starter Fund, up to £100,000 for the Prototype Fund, and up to £250,000 for the Content Fund.
- The Content Fund is specifically designed for high-growth companies that have already secured third-party investment to facilitate further expansion.
Evolution of Play Report
The Evolution of Play, a 169-page inaugural 2026 edition from Quantic Foundry, tracks long-term shifts in gamer psychology across 11 years, from May 2015 through February 2026.
- The analysis tracks shifts in gamer psychology across twelve motivation categories over an eleven-year period, spanning from May 2015 to February 2026.
- The findings are based on a dataset of 1,924,157 gamers, primarily core-oriented players who engaged with a motivation profiling tool.
- The respondent base is heavily skewed toward PC gaming, with 81% of participants utilizing the platform.
DreamHack Birmingham Announces Samsung as Official Partner
DreamHack Birmingham 2026 has secured Samsung as an official partner for its upcoming festival, scheduled for March 27–29 at the Birmingham NEC.
- DreamHack Birmingham 2026 will take place from March 27–29 at the Birmingham NEC, marking the event's return to the UK after a decade-long hiatus.
- Samsung has been named an official partner for the event, featuring a 'Galaxy Café' activation hub that showcases the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra and hosts mobile gaming competitions.
- The event features a substantial esports line-up with over $1.7 million in total prize money distributed across various tournaments.
South African Indie Developer Releases Game After 13-Year Journey
The release of the indie title Cadence on February 12, 2026, marks the conclusion of a 13-year development cycle for South African programmer Peter Cardwell-Gardner.
- South African developer Peter Cardwell-Gardner released the minimalist puzzle game Cadence on February 12, 2026, following a 13-year development cycle.
- The project was developed by the solo studio Made With Monster Love and features mechanics that allow players to compose and share musical patterns via Steam Workshop.
- Development began in 2013 and faced significant financial hurdles, including a failed £25,000 Kickstarter campaign in 2015.
What Steam's 2026 Biz Update Tells Us About the Ecosystem
The 2026 Steam business update highlights the platform's evolving ecosystem and Valve’s strategic philosophy regarding digital distribution.
- In 2025, 5,863 games earned over $100,000 and 2,395 games grossed over $500,000, representing nearly double the figures recorded in 2020.
- Approximately 25% to 30% of games achieving financial success in 2025 were released within that same calendar year, indicating that new titles remain viable despite market saturation.
- Valve maintains a non-curatorial, algorithmic distribution model that treats older catalog titles with the same visibility priority as new releases to foster long-term platform sustainability.
Gacha Beyond the Game: The Precarious Playbour Sustaining Ensemble Stars!!
This paper examines the transnational fandom surrounding Ensemble Stars!!
- English-speaking fans of Ensemble Stars!! sustained the game's international presence through unofficial, fan-organized infrastructure such as the Ensemble Stars!! English Wiki, since no English version existed until the June 2022 release of Ensemble Stars!! Music.
- Despite reaching over 19 million downloads by October 2024, the franchise received no official English localization for years after its 2015 launch, which reached 1.5 million downloads in its first year.
- In August 2021, parent company Happy Elements K.K. issued a copyright notice requiring removal of story translations from the fan Wiki ahead of the Music localization, leaving a narrative gap for long-term fans, especially for unlocalized pre-rebrand content.
BITKRAFT Summit 2025 Day 2: India Insights - Anuj Tandon
The Indian interactive media and gaming market is currently undergoing a significant transformation, driven by strong macroeconomic growth and a massive, young, internet-connected population.
- India's mobile gaming market has seen significant growth in in-app purchase revenue, rising from under $200 million four years ago to over $1.2 billion today.
- The Indian government has provided regulatory legitimacy to the gaming and esports sector, including the creation of the Indian Institute of Creative Technology (IICT) to train specialized talent.
- Domestic capital is increasingly driving liquidity in the Indian market, enabling startup exits to public markets, as evidenced by the performance of the publicly listed gaming company Nazara.
What Worked for Video Game Crowdfunding in 2025
Video game crowdfunding on Kickstarter experienced a notable resurgence in 2025, reaching approximately $26 million in total pledges.
- Video game crowdfunding on Kickstarter reached approximately $26 million in total pledges in 2025, marking the highest annual total since 2015.
- While the number of successful campaigns has remained stable at 443 in 2025, the average amount raised per project increased to $58,000, up from $39,000 in 2016.
- Modern successful campaigns have shifted away from early-development funding, instead prioritizing advanced development states and the release of playable demos to secure backing.
![Cover of FY2026 First Quarter Consolidated Financial Results [Japanese GAAP]](https://files.gameindustrylibrary.com/thumbnails/5849/page-1.png)
FY2026 First Quarter Consolidated Financial Results [Japanese GAAP]
CyberAgent’s consolidated financial results for the first quarter of fiscal year 2026, covering the period from October 1, 2025, to December 31, 2025, demonstrate significant growth in revenue and profitability.
- CyberAgent achieved a 14.0% year-on-year increase in net sales to ¥232.3 billion and a 181.8% surge in operating income to ¥23.3 billion for Q1 FY2026.
- The Game Business segment acted as a primary growth driver, with net sales rising 69.2% to ¥64.7 billion and operating income jumping 427.2% to ¥17.6 billion.
- AbemaTV Inc. reached a milestone by recording its first quarterly operating profit since its 2015 inception, helping drive a 246.1% increase in Media & IP segment income.
Everplay Modern Slavery Statement
Everplay maintains a zero-tolerance stance toward modern slavery and human trafficking across its global operations and supply chains.
- Everplay reports zero incidents of modern slavery or human trafficking across its global operations for the financial year ending December 31, 2025.
- The company employs approximately 370 staff members across the UK, Ireland, Germany, the United States, and Canada.
- Everplay identifies localization and quality assurance as the areas of its supply chain with the highest inherent risk for modern slavery.
LiveOps Report 2025
The mobile gaming industry is currently navigating a period of significant maturation, characterized by a marked deceleration in overall revenue and download growth.
- Mobile gaming is shifting toward high-frequency engagement, with developers now averaging 89 events per month to combat stagnant revenue and download growth.
- The Hybridcasual segment is experiencing explosive revenue growth by integrating complex, midcore-inspired mechanics and ad-driven monetization models.
- Strategy has overtaken RPGs as the top-earning subgenre within the Midcore segment, which continues to be dominated by legacy titles launched between 2015 and 2020.