Latest News
How remakes and remasters are driving the UK gaming economy
-
With 37.3 million gamers, the UK gaming industry is the biggest in Europe
-
New report finds remastered games to be a driving force behind industry growth
-
Gaming is more accessible than ever thanks to the rise of mobile gaming
Nineties teens are 69%1 more likely than the national average to spend between 21 and 28 hours gaming every week. And with this age group 47% more likely to have access to a Nintendo Switch, PS4 (42%) and Xbox One (44%), a new report reveals how developers are tapping into this market to drive the UK gaming economy.
From the impact of remakes and remasters, to how digital downloads are changing the industry, online smartphone retailer, Mobiles.co.uk, has taken an in-depth look at how the UK’s gaming industry is evolving.
The study reveals that the UK gaming industry has experienced huge growth in the past 10 years, with retail sales revenue between 2009 and 2019 increasing by a huge 72.6%2. Further insight also reveals that in 2019, the entire UK video game industry generated a huge £5.35 billion1 in revenue, with £3.77 billion3 of that total generated from video game software sales. But with an impressive 37.3 million4 gamers in the UK alone, what exactly is contributing to this growth?
According to Mobiles.co.uk’s report, the trend for remastered games including Crash Bandicoot N.Sane Trilogy, Resident Evil 2 and The Legend of Zelda Link’s Awakening, all play significant roles in the growth of the gaming industry here in the UK.
The new UKIE UK Top Selling Games List for 2019 revealed the below remakes/remastered games were amongst the top 100 best selling boxed games sold in 2019, while the more recent Final Fantasy VII remake quickly became one of the PS4’s best selling game to date:
|
Rank |
Title |
Monthly Search Volume |
|
16 |
Crash Bandicoot N.SaneTrilogy |
6,6005 |
|
21 |
Resident Evil 2 |
27,1005 |
|
32 |
The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening |
8,1005 |
Still remaining in the top 20 for the UK’s best-selling games of 2019 two years after its release, Crash Bandicoot N.Sane Trilogy receives around 6,600 unique searches every month4, its continuing popularity indicates that British gamers are becoming increasingly nostalgic when it comes to their gaming choices.
Crash Bandicoot also features at number 21 in the 2019 list. The remaster spiked the interest of gamers in the UK with a huge 49% increase in search volume over the past 12 months alone5. With an average of 27,100 monthly searches5, the franchise’s decision to reboot this classic was certainly welcomed by the industry, indicating there is a huge appetite for nostalgic gameplay here in the UK.
The final remaster included in the list of the top-selling games is The Legend of Zelda Link’s Awakening. Originally launched on the Game Boy in 1993, the remake was designed for the Nintendo Switch. As of March 2020, the new Link’s Awakening had sold more than four million copies globally6, and it’s one of the best-selling games of all time for the Nintendo Switch.
Lee Chambers, Psychologist and gaming expert, commented on the research: “Gaming and nostalgia are heavily interconnected, to the point where it fuels trends and shapes the industry direction. Video games are incredible triggers for nostalgia, anchoring us back to an often carefree time, when we had fewer responsibilities and gaming became a social construct as groups of children all sat around in a bedroom socialising while playing.
“The reality of the industry is that nostalgic gamers are now the ones with purchasing power to relive past glories fighting dragons of their youth, while being decision-makers for buying games as presents for their children. And that is gradually shaping the industry, risk aversion for the new, settling for the old. Your average early millennial is approaching 40. They don’t have the time they did as a child to form an emotional bond to a game’s story with life’s distractions, but a remake removes that barrier, making it all the more attractive.”
The new study also reveals the impact digital downloads are having on the industry, with over two thirds (70%)6 of the UK’s total video game sales revenue, generating a total of £2.63 billion6, coming from digital downloads. Even more remarkably, 42%6 of this revenue came directly from mobile games, indicating a shift in the industry towards smartphone gaming.
The report indicates that UK gamers are not only changing the way they purchase games but thanks to recent advancements in smartphone technology – including cinematic displays, advanced GPUs and even the introduction of high-speed 5G – they’re also expanding the devices they play on.
With a projected 2%7 compound annual growth rate, the huge surge in the mobile gaming sector is predicted to maintain its momentum in 2020 and beyond. An estimated 21 million people in the UK played a mobile game in 20197, with 19% of users aged 18 to 24, 37% falling in the 25-34 age bracket and 23% aged 35-447.
Andrew Cartledge, mobile expert at Mobiles.co.uk, says “In the UK, and all across the world, there’s no doubt that the gaming industry is growing at a rapid speed. The excitement for the next remake or remaster makes sure there’s still a place for the old, while the huge shift towards digital assures the industry and its consumers can keep up with the new.
“Mobile gaming is already huge in 2020 and will only get bigger in the years to come. If you’re interested in trying out some of the very best mobile games like PUBG and Fortnite for yourself, make sure you have a powerful handset to play on.”
For the full report on the UK gaming industry, mobile gaming, remasters and more, please visit: https://www.mobiles.co.uk/blog/understanding-the-uk-gaming-industry-mobiles-remasters-and-more/#fn1
Powered by WPeMatico
Apollo Games
REEVO Announces a New Partnership with Apollo Games
REEVO has announced a new partnership with Apollo Games, a Czech game studio renowned for its distinctive fruit and joker-style slot games. This collaboration marks another exciting step in REEVO’s continued expansion, further enriching its aggregation platform with proven, entertainment-driven content that appeals to players across multiple markets.
Through this partnership, Apollo Games’ portfolio is now available on the REEVO aggregation platform, providing operators with seamless access to a collection of engaging titles through a single integration. The addition reinforces REEVO’s commitment to delivering a diverse content ecosystem that combines established player favourites with innovative experiences from leading studios.
At REEVO, building a world-class aggregation platform means partnering with studios that understand what keeps players coming back. Apollo Games has established a strong reputation for combining classic casino appeal with modern mechanics, intuitive gameplay, and memorable entertainment. This makes the studio a valuable addition to REEVO’s growing portfolio of premium content providers.
As REEVO continues to expand its global footprint, every new partnership strengthens its ability to offer operators greater variety, stronger player engagement, and scalable content solutions through a single integration.
Daniel Cuc, Head of Account Management at REEVO, said: “Apollo Games brings a style of content that has stood the test of time while continuing to evolve with today’s players. We’re excited to welcome them to the REEVO platform as we continue building an aggregation ecosystem that combines trusted content with fresh experiences. Every new partnership is about giving our operators more opportunities to succeed, and Apollo Games is another excellent addition to our growing network.”
Robert Mikudik, CCO at Apollo Games, said: “We are truly excited to begin this new chapter with REEVO. This partnership will significantly strengthen the distribution of Apollo Games’ portfolio across multiple markets and help us bring our games to an even wider audience. I would like to thank everyone from both teams who contributed their time, energy, and expertise to successfully bring this project to life. A special thank you to David Ciolovan and Daniel Cuc for their dedication and for playing a key role in making this deal happen. We are very much looking forward to everything we can achieve together.”
This partnership reflects REEVO’s continued momentum as it expands its aggregation platform with providers that combine quality, innovation and commercial value. By growing a carefully curated content ecosystem, REEVO remains focused on helping operators deliver outstanding gaming experiences while supporting sustainable business growth.
The post REEVO Announces a New Partnership with Apollo Games appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Bacta
MGD – the Tax That Could Cost Britain its “Great Seaside Holiday”
Bacta has warned how an increase in Machine Games Duty will have a devastating impact on the country’s seaside piers and arcades forcing closures and undermining the appeal of the Great British seaside holiday.
The warning comes after research conducted by VisitBritain showed an 18% year-on-year decline in trips to England’s coast, an alarming down-turn that has seen it launch the domestic coastal campaign – #AllOnTheCoast – which encourages the supply chain of seaside businesses and partners to share videos and social posts to inspire Brits to discover England’s seaside and coastal destinations.
Commenting on the VistBritain campaign against the backdrop of the recent Social Market Foundation proposal to increase Machine Games Duty, Bacta President Joseph Cullis said: “Such a decline in trips to the coast, as reported by VistBritain, is extremely concerning.
“What’s perfectly clear is that any increase in the tax burden for already under pressure destination venues such as piers and coastal arcades will directly impact the appeal of a trip to the seaside as businesses either close permanently, are forced to pass on tax increases to holiday makers or have to reduce the hospitality offering. However individual businesses respond, the outcome is inevitable – a significantly reduced and more expensive experience that will serve to either transform two or three- night breaks into a day trip, and/or encourage families to holiday abroad.”
Increasing the tax burden would also have a significant impact on regional economies.
“Many seaside piers and amusement arcades rely on the income from their gaming areas to stay viable year-round. That income helps keep staff employed beyond the summer season and it helps maintain the attractions and buildings that are part of Britain’s coastal heritage. Take it away and the damage spreads throughout the broader business community of bars, cafes, newsagents, restaurants, convenience stores and B&Bs. Healthy, well-maintained piers and sea-front arcades make the difference between resort status and simply being somewhere that visitors go for a coastal walk,” noted Cullis.
“A pier does not survive on warm words about heritage, an arcade cannot pay wages with nostalgia and games creators aren’t able to invest in new products if the market is taxed into decline. It would be painfully ironic if the government chooses to implement a destructive tax regime that will destroy the Great British seaside holiday at the same time as funding VistBritain’s #AllOnTheCoast campaign.”
The post MGD – the Tax That Could Cost Britain its “Great Seaside Holiday” appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Andreas Hackl
Bet-at-home Goes Live with Fast Track
Bet-at-home, the European online sports betting and gaming operator, has gone live with Fast Track, using the platform to manage player engagement across its sportsbook and casino.
Founded in 1999 and listed on the Regulated Market of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (Prime Standard), bet-at-home operates online sports betting and gaming across European markets, with Germany among its core markets. The agreement is the next step in bet-at-home’s player engagement strategy, as the operator continues to deepen the experience it delivers to players across regulated markets.
Fast Track gives bet-at-home’s team a single real-time customer model across CRM, Rewards and Greco, enabling the operator to scale player engagement, gamification and loyalty strategies, and build a gameplay intelligent bonus strategy from one connected platform. bet-at-home also uses Fast Track AI to power fully agentic CRM workflows, allowing its team to work with the platform in natural language and delegate end-to-end CRM tasks to AI agents.
“We needed a platform built for the realities of operating in regulated European markets, with the data foundation and agility to engage players consistently across our brands. Fast Track gives us exactly that, and we are excited about what this partnership will let us build for our players,” said Andreas Hackl, Head of Operations at bet-at-home.
“bet-at-home has built one of European betting’s most recognised brands over more than two decades, and across exactly the kind of regulated, competitive markets Fast Track was built for. We are looking forward to the work ahead together,” said Simon Lidzén, Co-Founder and CEO of Fast Track.
The post Bet-at-home Goes Live with Fast Track appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
-
ESPN Networks6 days agoTHE 57th ANNUAL WORLD SERIES OF POKER® CONCLUDES AN EXTRAORDINARY SUMMER OF GLOBAL ENGAGEMENT AND ELITE COMPETITION
-
Canada6 days agoPENN Entertainment Launches theScore Bet Sportsbook & Casino and theScore Casino and Hollywood Casino Standalone Apps in Alberta
-
Latest News6 days agoWeekend Reels | Week 29: Slot Drops & Trends
-
Canada7 days agoPlay’n GO goes live in Alberta iGaming with 10+ operators
-
Compliance Updates6 days agoFinland notifies EU of gambling tech rules for data vault and OCSS signing
-
Canada7 days agoPlay’n GO strengthens Canadian footprint with Alberta iGaming market entry
-
Latest News6 days agoJumio Enters into Partnership with BOYLE Sports
-
Latest News6 days agoDELULU Gaming Hosted an Exclusive Soft Launch Dinner for 250+ iGaming Leaders in London



