Latest News

How remakes and remasters are driving the UK gaming economy

Published

6 years ago

August 11, 2020

George Miller

Reading Time: 4 minutes

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

1spin4win

1spin4win presents Lucky 1spin4win Hold and Win to mark its 5th anniversary

Published

20 hours ago

May 15, 2026

Wladimir P.

1spin4win-presents-lucky-1spin4win-hold-and-win-to-mark-its-5th-anniversary

On May 14, 2026, 1spin4win reached a significant milestone — five years on the iGaming market. The anniversary motto, The Gold Standard of Classic Slots, reflects the studio’s evolution into a recognized name in the classic slot niche, built on years of industry expertise and commitment to delivering authentic gambling experiences.

Today, its portfolio features more than 200 games combining timeless appeal, advanced mathematics, and strong performance. In 2025, 1spin4win achieved a 52.06% increase in bet count and a 56.62% rise in GGR compared to 2024. This growth has helped the provider earn the trust of over 1,000 global operators, including leading brands such as SOFTSWISS, EveryMatrix, Alea, SoftGaming, Digitain, and BetConstruct.

As part of the milestone celebration, 1spin4win introduces Lucky 1spin4win Hold and Win, a special slot highlighting the studio’s landmark titles and renowned characters. Alongside traditional fruit, bells, and sevens, the colorful 3×3 grid features Wild symbols shaped as red bezel-set diamonds. When activated, they illuminate the “5 Years” sign, reinforcing the game’s anniversary theme.

The celebratory atmosphere continues through the slot’s rewarding features. Landing nine identical symbols doubles the win, while three or more Coins trigger the exciting Hold and Win Bonus round. With three starting respins, players get the chance to claim two festive Jackpots — the x100 Minipot Coin and the x1000 Megapot.

To mark the 5-year anniversary, 1spin4win is also launching special promotional campaigns in collaboration with Olymp and Selector. To give players additional opportunities to join the celebration, the partners will distribute exclusive promo codes, which will also be available to the registered users of the provider’s Players Room platform.

Olga Hlukhovskaya, Business Development Director at 1spin4win, commented, “Five years in the industry is an important testament to how far 1spin4win has come. Since 2021, we’ve grown into an acknowledged iGaming brand trusted by top global companies. Looking ahead, we plan to keep expanding across African and Latin American markets, deepen our relationships with regional operators, and further strengthen our presence in Europe. For us, this anniversary is not only about celebrating past achievements, but also about building the next stage of 1spin4win’s journey.

Olga Bogdanova, Art Director at 1spin4win, shared, “Lucky 1spin4win Hold and Win is dedicated to the 1spin4win 5th anniversary in the casino industry. The game’s design brings together iconic characters and signature symbols from our previous releases, well-known to both our players and partners. The result is a vibrant product featuring engaging Hold and Win mechanics and the recognizable 1spin4win classic style. We invite everyone to join the celebration of our anniversary, test their luck in the slot, compete for festive jackpots, and revisit their favorite 1spin4win games!”

About 1spin4win

1spin4win is an established game provider founded in May 2021 by ambitious developers with over 15 years of experience in the gambling industry. Since its inception, the company has expanded its portfolio to include over 200 classic online slots, all characterized by quality mathematics, transparent mechanics, and well-balanced gameplay — key factors that drive strong player retention. The studio aims to release an average of four new games each month in 2026 and offers effective promotional tools for casino operators to help them enhance player loyalty.

The post 1spin4win presents Lucky 1spin4win Hold and Win to mark its 5th anniversary appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Games

Stake releases Zoo casino game: a fast, multiplayer Stake Original where players bet on the wild side

Published

20 hours ago

May 15, 2026

Wladimir P.

stake-releases-zoo-casino-game:-a-fast,-multiplayer-stake-original-where-players-bet-on-the-wild-side

A new live-round Stake Original where every player bets on the same outcome – six animals, a 20-tile track, three results per round, and wins up to 1,000x in play.

Stake, the world’s largest online casino and sportsbook, has today launched its Zoo casino game, a new multiplayer Stake Original that brings every player into the same live round to bet on six animals across a 20-tile track. Available worldwide on Stake, Zoo is the latest title to join the growing Stake Originals collection.

Zoo takes the shared-round excitement that has made games like Crash a Stake Originals staple and pairs it with simpler, more visual decision-making. Each round, six animals – Lion, Cheetah, Elephant, Crocodile, Rhino, and Penguin – appear on a 20-tile circular track, with each animal showing up a different number of times to create clear volatility tiers and payout differences across the board. Players have ten seconds to back one or more animals before the track spins up and locks in three result tiles in the center of the screen.

Zoo launches with a 98% RTP, a top multiplier of 1,000x per round, and full auto bet controls that let players preset their wager amount, number of rounds, and chosen animals. Designed as a simpler, more visual evolution of popular casino games like Roulette and Sic Bo, Zoo strips back the complexity without compromising on depth. The rarer the animal, the bigger the reward – Lion and Cheetah each appear only once on the track, Elephant and Crocodile twice, Rhino four times, and Penguin ten, giving players a clear read on the risk and payout of every play. With three result tiles drawn each round, players win based on how many times their chosen animal lands across all three.

“Zoo is exactly the kind of game we want Stake Originals to be known for – fast, simple to pick up, and genuinely fun to play in an online setting filled with other players. There’s real tension in watching the three tiles land for the whole table at once, and we think players are going to find their favourite animals pretty quickly,” said Stake’s Chief Marketing Officer, Akhil Sarin.

Zoo joins a growing line-up of in-house multiplayer game creations on Stake Casino, with the goal of keeping every Stake Original easy to learn, quick to play, and a little bit different from anything else in the iGaming industry.

About Stake

Stake is the world’s largest online casino and sportsbook, attracting over 100 million monthly visits across its global domains – more than any other iGaming platform on earth. Founded in 2017, Stake attracts over 80 million monthly visits and processes more than 100 billion bets per year. Stake is renowned for its innovation in crypto wagering and its growing expansion into regulated local-currency gaming markets, including Italy, Denmark, Brazil, Colombia, and Peru. The brand boasts an extensive global sponsorship portfolio including Drake, X Games, Everton Football Club, and the UFC.

Contact

Stake.com

[email protected]

The post Stake releases Zoo casino game: a fast, multiplayer Stake Original where players bet on the wild side appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Games

Stake releases Zoo casino game: a fast, multiplayer Stake Original where players bet on the wild side

Published

20 hours ago

May 15, 2026

GamingAmericas.com

A new live-round Stake Original where every player bets on the same outcome – six animals, a 20-tile track, three results per round, and wins up to 1,000x in play.