We discuss the impact, economics, and advantages of mobile web stores in a deep discussion with Gil Tov-ly, the CMO of AppCharge, a company that partners with game studios to build optimized web stores. OUTLINE: 0:00 Intro 1:13 Motivation and economics of mobile web stores: Huge 20-30% total revenue lift 3:42 Amount of transactions through web stores vs. direct IAP, what impacts more web store transactions? 9:34 How web stores can support VIP spenders 10:40 Typical web store support provided...

A deep dive into the most pressing topics in gaming with industry veterans discussing recent developments, challenges, and future outlooks. ⏱️ Timeline/Chapters: 00:00 - Introduction 01:05 - Ubisoft's Current State & Challenges 14:35 - Unity's Turnaround Story 31:20 - AppLovin Deep Dive 39:15 - China Gaming Market Update 49:40 - Microsoft-Activision Deal Impact 56:10 - Roblox & Hindenburg Report Discussion 📝 Description: Join us for an in-depth discussion of the hottest topics in...

Warren Woodward, co-founder and CMO at Upptic, provides real, no-nonsense advice about the current state of mobile performance marketing. What are the current problems and issues in the market and how can studios grow their player base through mobile user acquisition today? OUTLINE: 0:00 Intro 0:47 Why Warren is great to talk to about UA 2:00 Current state of mobile marketing & UA: What’s working and not working 12:50 What IDFA really did to mobile marketing 15:30 What happens if...

We dive deep into the fierce competition between Tencent and NetEase—two titans shaping the global gaming landscape. Discover how these companies are navigating the challenges of the Chinese market and their strategies for international expansion. We also share our personal experiences about Tencent and provide insider insights you can't find anywhere else. Don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more industry insights! 🚀 #Gaming #Tencent #NetEase #GameIndustry...

Anton Bernstein, CEO of Pocket Worlds, discusses the intricacies of cosmetics monetization in free-to-play games. Learn about player motivations, game design considerations, primary vs. secondary markets, and cultural differences in monetization strategies. Gain valuable insights on key metrics and best practices for successful cosmetic-based revenue in games like Fortnite, CS:GO, and High Rise. OUTLINE: 0:00 Intro 0:45 Most important topics around cosmetics monetization 2:11 Anton Bernstein...

We partnered with Liquid & Grit to discuss the Brawl Stars Godzilla event, which had a massive impact on Brawl Stars' revenue and downloads. - Highest weekly revenue ever - 59% revenue increase and 107% downloads increase 3Wo3W We review the event and discuss the implications and lessons learned. Discussion Outline: 00:00 - Introduction of the roundtable, Joseph Kim, and the participants. 00:12 - Introduction of Joseph Kim and his work. 01:18 - Overview of Brawl Stars and its game...

0:00 Intro 1:42 Background on FunPlus 2:35 Embracer Group - Historical context and current status, including breakup 6:06 Why did Embracer break up? What form of game industry consolidation makes sense? 7:40 When do company synergies make sense for game studio consolidation? 9:40 Comparison of Zynga vs. Embracer M&A strategy, Zynga’s historical M&A context 14:00 Could Embracer’s consolidation strategy have worked out? How? 16:00 Embracer’s lack of centralization functions and impact...

Purnendu Mukherjee, CEO of Convai, shares insights into innovative approaches to developing human-like AI characters that can intelligently interact with users, perform actions, and engage in natural and responsive conversations. This discussion sheds light on the future of interactive gaming, educational tools, and real-world applications of AI NPCs, from Mukherjee's personal journey, which sparked his deep interest in the mechanics of the human mind and AI, to the technical challenges and...

We compare two major gaming companies, Embracer and Ubisoft, on this episode of Pixels and Profits. ✅ Business performance ✅ Valuation ✅ Future outlook of both companies We analyze their strategies, financials, and potential for growth. Timeline Summary: 00:00 - Introduction to the topic and overview of Embracer's business 03:00 - Discussion of Embracer's financials and debt situation 10:15 - Embracer's restructuring efforts and asset sales 13:45 - Embracer's tabletop gaming...

We discuss key themes & trends, critical takeaways, GDC panels/talks, and rumors from GDC 2024. OUTLINE: 0:00 Intro 2:35 VC, publisher investment in gaming is down 3:50 Moving to tighter efficiency in game development 7:05 More pain coming, 3-6 more months of industry rationalization 15:30 UA deterioriation since beginning of year 17:17 AI & Liveops key areas of focus 21:40 Importance of marketing and UA for mobile game success 23:45 Sensor Tower acquisition of data.ai 30:45 GDC...

Ludovic Bodin is an entrepreneur, investor, and now author of the book Atomic Scaling. Ludovic has learned lessons from the titans of the games industry and created a framework he believes can be applied to any other industry. Learn more about the lessons from Supercell, Valve, Zynga, and others and how they can apply to your games studio or company outside of games. OUTLINE: 0:00 Intro 1:20 How Ilkka Paananen, CEO of Supercell inspired Atomic Scaling - Keeping teams small for as long as...

Eve Chang shares her invaluable experiences and lessons from working on iconic mobile games like Temple Run and Bejeweled Blitz. Get ready for a session full of actionable insights and strategies that could redefine your approach to game development and live operations. Outline: [00:00] Introduction to Eve Chang and Overview [01:10] Eve Chang's Journey in Game Development [02:10] Eve's Approach to LiveOps [06:55] Designing and Product Decisions for Live Games [13:45] Biggest Lessons Learned...

Matthew Kanterman, Joseph Kim, and Brian Peganoff discuss Nvidia as well as gaming related offerings from the company: Nvidia business overview Future growth drivers Valuation Competitive landscape Future outlook --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gamemakers/message

We are seeing severe impacts around privacy and the ability to measure any post-device ID kind of fingerprinting world. So, we wanted to put together a five-part series helping advertisers understand the measurement crisis and the different tools and measurement signals available. #1. The first podcast in the series will be the overview of the measurement crisis. #2. The second podcast will be the actual state of last touch and the real value that last touch is bringing you. #3. The third...

Doom loops are a cycle of self reinforcing negative decisions and behaviors that lead to bad outcomes. In this episode I talk about my own experience trying to break my doom loop impacting both my professional and personal life. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gamemakers/message

At most companies doing the hard thing is uncomfortable and we avoid addressing some of the most critical issues that can mean the difference between success and failure. This is an audio read of my Philosophy Monday newsletter post. If you want to hear an audio version of those posts, let me know! Go to gamemakers.substack.com and comment there and I'll do more of these in the future. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gamemakers/message

Dive into the future of game development with Joseph Kim as he interviews Ben James, CEO of Atlas, a groundbreaking company at the forefront of integrating AI into the creative process of game design. In this exclusive interview, discover how Atlas's cutting-edge technology is transforming 2D reference images into fully-realized 3D models, propelling the development of immersive 3D MMO worlds into new realms of efficiency and creativity. What You'll Learn: ✔️ The innovative AI technology...

Supercell's Brawl Stars recently had a huge surge in downloads and daily revenue. How did they do it? We discuss with Matej Lancaric and Jakub Reimar from 2.5 Gamers and Ken Landen (former Kongregate, Scopely, Blizzard, and Hit Factor PM). --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gamemakers/message

We explore AI's significant impact in tech, especially game development. Let's discuss adapting to AI as a major technological shift, a technological change potentially as big as the impact of the Internet. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gamemakers/message

3 days before launching Palworld, Takuro Mizobe from Pocket Pair, published a blog post with the riveting story behind Palworld. Mistakes, lessons learned, and much more. Check it out: https://note.com/pocketpair/n/n54f674cccc40#2251bc9e-24bc-4539-8c0c-df500654bf43 --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gamemakers/message

Livestreaming trends: 1. Which genres are the best? 2. Nostalgia for Baldur's Gate and Fortnite "OG" 3. Indies benefit 4. Multi-platform simulcasting e.g., Ninja Esports: 1. Esports rising again in 2023 2. 5 most watched titles: League of Legends, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, CS:GO, Dota 2, and Valorant Get the report here: Gaming, Esports, & Social Trends Report | 2024: https://insights.streamhatchet.com/2024-gaming-esports-social-trends-report --- Send in a voice message:...

Will games become more like movies and music with focus on subscription rather than ownership? An Ubisoft director thinks so. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gamemakers/message

Epic vs. Apple articles: The house always wins Apple to collect fees from Epic Games Supreme Court denied both sides' appeals of Epic v. Apple antitrust case. iOS will not have competing stores or payments. Apple releases new policy making 27% from external payments regardless. JK + Tim Sweeney Interview: https://youtu.be/h6ClJxjuRvw?si=21bGX3Qv2LAgDc5U --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gamemakers/message

Pocketgamer reported on GDC's State of the Industry report held every year before GDC. 3,000 game devs input about various topics. We cover: Concerns about AI Where AI is being used Game engine usage --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gamemakers/message