Philip Black, Jen Donahoe, and Michai join the show to discuss the state of mobile games, the nominees for the gam3.gg Web 3 awards, and the upcoming SKAN5.
Hidden object games offer opportunities for new developers with innovative approaches.
Casual and party games are growing in revenue, while RPGs, strategy games, simulations, and shooters are declining.
Understanding the history and evolution of casual gaming is crucial for creating successful new titles.
Deep dives
Podcast Episode Overview
In this podcast episode, the hosts discuss various topics related to the gaming industry. The returning host talks about his experience running a startup for six months and the challenges of raising funds. They also mention a recent takeover of a data AI webinar and the banter between two guests. The episode covers different industry news, including the China gaming market, player behavior in mobile games, and the performance of specific game genres. The hosts highlight the success of certain publishers and the struggles of others. They also discuss upcoming projects, partnerships, and industry trends. Overall, the episode provides insights into the current state of the gaming industry and its future prospects.
Hidden Object Games and Genre Trends
The hosts delve into the hidden object game genre, focusing on the success of June's Journey reaching a revenue milestone. They discuss the production costs, art quality, and content pipeline involved in creating hidden object scenes. They offer insights into the overlap between hidden object and match-three games, as well as potential opportunities for new game developers to enter the genre with innovative approaches. The hosts also analyze the performance of different game genres, highlighting the growth of casual and party games, and the decline in revenue for RPGs, strategy games, simulations, and shooters.
Challenges and Predictions for the Gaming Industry
The hosts explore the challenges facing the gaming industry, such as the impact of IDFA changes on targeting and user acquisition. They discuss the declining quality of downloads and the decrease in user spending due to various market factors. They anticipate further declines in revenue over the next two years, as well as potential consequences of companies pulling back and creating fewer innovative games. The episode concludes with mentions of upcoming game releases and partnerships, as well as the need for new approaches to stimulate innovation in the industry.
The impact of game predecessors on the casual gaming market
The podcast discusses how many popular casual games like Coin Master, Candy Crush, and Garden Scapes were influenced by earlier games with similar mechanics and concepts. The importance of understanding the history and evolution of casual gaming in order to create successful new titles is emphasized.
The challenges and potential of the mobile gaming market
The podcast explores the current state of the mobile gaming market, highlighting the winners and losers in terms of global performance. It mentions that certain markets like South Korea, Taiwan, Germany, UK, and France have seen growth, while overall the market has been down. The discussion touches on the role of privacy changes, like Apple's Scan Network, and the potential impact on user acquisition and game marketing strategies.
Ethan's back, and so is Kress telling him to "Get the F Out of here!" Laura breaks down June's Journey $1B revenue milestone with Ethan chiming in with a history lesson on Hidden Object games. Jen covers the nominees for the gam3.gg Web 3 awards. Kress gives a state of mobile games industry update and the team talks about the state SKAN4 and the upcoming SKAN5.
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