The path to profitable growth is fraught with tough choices. Studios can net new audiences by pumping out new titles and features at the pace of change, or they can push the envelope (and extend the lifecycle of their legacy title) with content, Live Ops and real-life events. Or, in the case of Zynga, they can do all of the above. Yaron Leyvand, Executive VP at Mobile Studios at Zynga, joins hosts Peggy Anne Salz and Brian Baglow to share pages from the playbook that keeps the games giant growing amidst industry downturns and transformations. Yaron recalls the milestones in the journey that brought Zynga from a small gaming company with a start on Facebook to a leader in casual gaming with over 4 billion downloads and 200+ million monthly players worldwide. He also delves into Zynga’s unique approach to M&A—one that bolsters smaller studios and trusts in local talent. Don’t miss this info-packed episode as Yaron describes how Zynga and Take-Two are shaking up the industry with their landmark collaboration, and Peggy and Brian announce the biggest celebration in PG.biz history — the 10-year anniversary of PocketGamer Connects hosted at PGC London in January.
CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS
00:00 - The must-attend event of the year
03:09 - Introducing Yaron
03:48 - Zynga's 2024 mentality
07:09 - Most innovative shift in puzzle games
11:43 - The secret to Zynga's success
14:46 - Zynga's acquisition approach
20:02 - The power of combining forces
25:37 - To license IP or not to license IP
27:56 - How to make a "forever franchise"
33:04 - Favourite games Q&A with Yaron
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Check out more world-class speakers sharing their insights and expertise at one of our events. You can find details of our next event here - https://www.pgconnects.com/next-event
