Deconstructor of Fun TWIG #329: Royal Match Goes All-In, Discord Shifts Gears, Call of Duty Meets Its Match
May 1, 2025
The discussion kicks off with a deep dive into the $50M marketing campaign for Royal Match and the pitfalls of overspending. A major shift in Discord's strategy is highlighted, showcasing how new leadership may push the platform towards enterprise uses. The podcast also delves into surprising leadership changes at NetEase and a fierce competition between Delta Force and Call of Duty Mobile. Lastly, there's a lively debate on the growing interest of venture capitalists in AI's role in gaming, reflecting industry trends and future innovations.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Shadow Drops Favor Established Fandoms
- Shadow drops work best when targeting an existing fandom with hype and live streaming events.
- They are less effective for unknown IPs, where pre-launch marketing to build anticipation is crucial.
Celebrity Ads Cost $25M Plus
- Celebrity marketing for Royal Match likely cost around $25 million, a very high budget relative to incremental revenue.
- Such campaigns risk poor ROI when the acquired audience has low long-term value.
Discord's Monetization Shift
- Discord's new CEO signals a shift towards monetization and an enterprise focus ahead of a likely IPO.
- The company is embracing ads and unique engagement features to generate revenue from its gaming community.