Balancing Innovation and Market Reach in Grand Strategy Games

This is no BS gaming podcast 2.5 gamers session. Sharing actionable insights, dropping knowledge from our day-to-day User Acquisition, Game Design, and Ad monetization jobs. We are definitely not discussing the latest industry news, but having so much fun! Let’s not forget this is a 4 a.m. conference discussion vibe, so let's not take it too seriously.

Panelists: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jakub Remia⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠r,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Felix Braberg, Matej Lancaric⁠

Guests: Julian Werner, Jan-Michel Saaksmeier

Youtube: https://youtu.be/oUjBwWHGSGw

Join our slack channel here: https://join.slack.com/t/two-and-half-gamers/shared_invite/zt-2ftcc85es-CesThaafn9k0BIFSVAV8FQ

Agenda

00:00 Epic intro

01:00 Introduction to Bytro and Grand Strategy Games

06:09 The Unique Combination of 4X and Battle Royale

13:08 Bytro's Niche Appeal and Lack of Direct Competitors

15:55 Exploring New Onboarding Methodologies

23:04 Advertising on TikTok and Bold Marketing Strategies

25:25 Balancing Innovation and Niche Appeal

26:30 Maximizing Monetization with Rewarded Ads and Speed-ups

27:05 Tailoring the Gaming Experience with LTVs and Segmentation

29:30 Leveraging TikTok for Creative Advertising

30:17 The Importance of Web and Mobile Platforms

31:44 The Power of Influencer Marketing

33:19 Transitioning to a New Game Engine

34:39 Managing Community Expectations

45:21 Upcoming Game Releases and Hiring Opportunities

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Matej Lancaric

User Acquisition & Creatives Consultant

⁠https://lancaric.me

Felix Braberg

Ad monetization consultant

⁠https://www.felixbraberg.com

Jakub Remiar

Game design consultant

⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakubremiar

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Takeaways

Bytro specializes in grand strategy games with a unique combination of 4X and Battle Royale elements.

It started as a browser games company and has expanded to mobile.

Bytro collaborates with other studios to explore new onboarding methodologies and is working on implementing mini-game tutorials and a hero collection meta-game.

They face the challenge of balancing innovation with maintaining their niche appeal. Rewarded ads can be a valuable tool for monetization, especially when combined with an inventory system that offers speed-ups.

Leveraging LTVs can help tailor the gaming experience for different types of users, such as providing extra boosters for non-IAP players or players from tier 2 and tier 3 countries.

TikTok is a powerful platform for creative advertising, and leveraging UGC (user-generated content) can be highly effective.

The web platform is still relevant for game monetization, but the price situation and native advertising platforms can be challenging.

Influencer marketing can provide access to incremental audiences and is becoming increasingly relevant as more influencers emerge.

Transitioning to a new game engine can be a significant step up, especially in terms of presentation and user experience.

Managing community expectations during transitions and updates is crucial to maintaining player engagement and revenue.

The company is hiring for positions in monetization and game design.

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