Gamecraft

The Mobile Gaming Duopoly (Ep. 18)

70 snips
Apr 9, 2025
Mitch and Blake delve into the tight grip Apple and Google have over mobile gaming, warning how their current distribution models might bleed into PCs and consoles. They explore the historical evolution of mobile tech, highlighting how past innovations shaped today's content. The conversation reveals the troubling advertising tactics of some developers, designed to prioritize profit over player engagement. They argue for government intervention to combat cost exploitation in the app store duopoly, raising alarms about the unsettling parallels to Steam's practices.
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INSIGHT

Monopoly, Not Duopoly

  • Mobile gaming isn't a duopoly; it's a platform monopoly.
  • Once a user chooses iOS or Android, they're locked into its app store.
INSIGHT

Mobile's Hyper-Capitalism

  • The mobile gaming industry's hyper-capitalistic nature is driven by distribution choke points.
  • This might foreshadow the future of PC and console gaming.
ANECDOTE

Jamdat's Early Innovation

  • Mitch Lasky built Jamdat, an early mobile gaming company, capitalizing on 3G and carrier-specific app stores.
  • Jamdat innovated by securing licenses like Tiger Woods Golf and leveraging "blind vend" billing.
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