Season 3, Episode 23: Netflix games and the necessity of gaming for legacy media (with Joost van Dreunen)
Jul 30, 2024
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Joost van Dreunen, CEO of Aldora and an NYU adjunct professor, dives into Netflix's evolving strategy in gaming. He discusses the significance of hiring industry veterans like Alain Tascan and how this shift impacts user engagement. The conversation also touches on the challenges legacy media faces when entering gaming, emphasizing the New York Times' success with games. Joost explores monetization trends across gaming and streaming, shedding light on the need for innovative strategies in this competitive landscape.
Netflix's gaming strategy reflects the necessity for traditional media companies to adapt and retain audience engagement in the tumultuous attention economy.
Joost van Dreunen's dual role as an educator and CEO emphasizes the importance of integrating theoretical knowledge with real-world applications in gaming economics.
The commercialization of gaming highlights an ongoing struggle between profit-driven models and the preservation of artistic creativity in an oversaturated market.
Deep dives
Navigating Omnichannel Marketing Challenges
Navigating the complexities of omnichannel marketing can be daunting for businesses, but tools like Rockerbox provide essential guidance. By tracking and analyzing campaigns across various mediums such as digital, TV, and offline channels, Rockerbox enables brands to understand where their marketing efforts yield the best results. For instance, companies like Weight Watchers and Nutraful have benefitted from such insights, allowing them to invest more wisely in successful strategies. This clarity helps optimize budgets, ensuring that marketing investments lead to increased returns.
Blending Academia with Industry Insight
Jost Van Joynen balances his roles as an adjunct professor at NYU and the CEO of Aldora, offering a unique perspective on the economics of the gaming industry. With a PhD from Columbia, he recognized the gap in academic resources specifically focused on interactive entertainment, and has actively worked to fill that void. His experience running data companies like Superdata has helped him incorporate real-world insights into his teaching, providing students with a blend of theoretical knowledge and practical applications. This dual approach not only enriches his classroom but also informs his entrepreneurial ventures.
Understanding the Disconnect in Gaming Education
Students entering gaming classes often have misconceptions about the subject matter, expecting it to focus solely on game development rather than the underlying economics and analytics. Jost experiences this firsthand, noting that many students are initially enamored by their favorite games without understanding the business implications behind them. He emphasizes the necessity of shifting focus from personal passion for games to strategic discussions about market growth and community management. This shift in perspective is crucial for preparing students for the realities of the gaming industry.
The Attention Economy and Netflix's Gaming Strategy
Netflix’s foray into gaming is a strategic response to the shifting dynamics of the attention economy, aiming to keep audiences engaged in an increasingly competitive landscape. By bundling games with subscriptions, Netflix hopes to offer immersive experiences that allies with traditional media consumption. However, initial successes have been limited, with reports indicating a lack of significant engagement with their gaming content among subscribers. The leadership change within the gaming division suggests that Netflix recognizes the need for a more robust approach to attract and retain gamers.
The Impact of Commercialization on Gaming Creativity
The commercialization of gaming can stifle creativity, as companies increasingly prioritize profit-driven models over artistic expression. This tension is evident in the struggles of mobile game developers, who face saturated markets and declining smartphone sales. As the landscape shifts, companies must find innovative ways to monetize passionate players who are part of a shrinking audience. Success hinges on offering profound experiences that resonate with core gamers, rather than simply launching a flood of new titles into an already crowded market.
My guest on this week's episode of the Mobile Dev Memo podcast is Joost van Dreuen, the CEO of Aldora, a data insights platform. Joost is also an adjunct professor at NYU's Stern School of Business, the author of the SuperJoost Playlist newsletter, and a well-known analyst of the mobile gaming ecosystem.
Joost and I discuss Netflix's gaming efforts to date, as well as the expansion of many legacy media companies into gaming. Among other topics, we cover:
Netflix's strategy with its gaming endeavor;
Netflix's hiring of Alain Tascan from Epic to run its gaming division;
The commercial outcome that Netflix is pursuing with games;
The convergence of monetization strategies across streaming video and gaming;
Where the ceiling is in mobile games, and whether that ceiling has been reached by companies like Supercell;
The New York Times as a gaming company.
Thanks to the sponsors of this week’s episode of the Mobile Dev Memo podcast:
Rockerbox. Get the clarity your marketing needs and navigate your way to success with Rockerbox. Visit rockerbox.com/maze today to see what it’s all about.
INCRMNTAL. True attribution measures incrementality, always on.
Interested in sponsoring the Mobile Dev Memo podcast? Contact Marketecture.
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