Kristian Segestrale, CEO of Super Evil Megacorp, shares insights on mobile gaming's early days, Vainglory, roguelites, and his investment in Supercell. They discuss building a strong company culture, transitioning from gaming to tech startups, navigating challenges in the industry, and evolving game design and business models.
Building relationships with integrity can lead to future opportunities in the game industry.
Recognizing mistakes and negative behavior is crucial for personal growth and maintaining professional relationships.
Trust and responsibility play a key role in successful collaborations within creative industries like gaming.
Adopting a data-driven approach is essential for improving and iterating on company culture.
Reflecting on experiences and influences can shape decisions to shift focus and pursue innovative game development.
Deep dives
Emphasizing the Importance of Being Good to Others
Being helpful and a good citizen in the game industry can lead to future opportunities. Building relationships with integrity and kindness can pay off in unexpected ways down the line. The speaker highlights the significance of being remembered for positive actions and ethical conduct to foster future connections and collaborations in the industry.
Reflecting on Past Mistakes and Learning from Them
Discussing moments of regret and reflecting on past interactions where misunderstandings or mistakes caused relationships to falter. Admitting to instances of negative behavior and acknowledging the impact it had on professional connections. Recognizing personal growth and the importance of mature communication and responsibility in maintaining working relationships.
Emphasizing Trust and Responsibility in Business Relationships
Highlighting the role of trust and responsibility in fostering successful working relationships, especially in creative industries like gaming. Emphasizing the importance of meeting commitments, communication, and reliability in building trust with collaborators. Discussing pitfalls to avoid, such as not fulfilling promises or engaging in unprofessional behavior, which can negatively impact professional relationships.
Adopting a Data-Driven Approach to Enhance Company Culture
Emphasizing the importance of adopting a data-driven approach to improve and iterate on company culture. Viewing the company's culture and operating system as integral components that require continuous evaluation and adjustment. Utilizing feedback tools and regular assessments to measure the effectiveness of cultural initiatives. Iterating on cultural practices to ensure alignment with the company's values and goals.
Transitioning from Economics to Game Development
Tracing the speaker's transition from studying economics to founding a game development company. Exploring the motivations behind shifting focus from economics to game development. Highlighting key experiences and influences, such as the Nintendo Wii and the early days of Facebook, that shaped the decision to create socially engaging game experiences. Reflecting on the rapid growth and successes achieved with innovative game concepts.
Navigating the Rapid Growth of Playfish and the Merger with Electronic Arts
Detailing the remarkable growth trajectory of Playfish within a span of 23 months, culminating in a merger with Electronic Arts. Describing the exhilarating journey of developing successful games on Facebook and reaching massive audiences online. Discussing the unique dynamics of the internet era that allowed for rapid distribution and exponential user engagement. Reflecting on the challenges and achievements of navigating through a dynamic and competitive gaming landscape.
Christian's Journey with Supercell and Investment in Supercell
Christian discusses his involvement and investment in the game company Supercell, highlighting the talented team and innovative games they created. He recalls meeting the co-founders back in 2002 and admiring their company, which led to his investment in Supercell's early days, describing it as their first investment and a seed investment round in 2009. Despite initial challenges, Supercell's pivot to mobile games like Clash of Clans and continuous innovation led to tremendous success.
The Impact of Learning and Resilience in Game Development
Christian reflects on the impact of learning and resilience in the game development process, sharing insights from his time with the companies Glue Mobile and Super Evil Megacorp. He acknowledges the importance of navigating setbacks, tough decisions, and company resets, emphasizing the role of experience and accountability in building a successful and sustainable game company. By highlighting the challenges faced with games like Vanglor and the strategic decisions made with Catalyst Black and TMNT, Christian underscores the value of persistence and adaptability in the industry.
Balancing Design and Business Models in Game Development
The conversation delves into the evolving landscape of game design and business models, particularly focusing on the transition from free-to-play to premium games. Christian emphasizes the significance of balancing player experience, engagement, and monetization strategies in game development. By exploring the nuances between rogue-like and rogue-lite games and the influence of analytics on design decisions, Christian highlights the importance of aligning incentives with player satisfaction and creating engaging gaming experiences amidst changing industry trends.
Our guest this week was a founder of Glu and Playfish and an early investor in Supercell. Now he’s CEO of Super Evil Megacorp working on TMNT for Switch. We talk the early days of mobile, the great Vainglory and roguelites in a very educational episode this week!
Thank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life! Hosted by Alexander Seropian and Aaron Marroquin Find us at www.thefourthcurtain.com
Join our Patreon for early, ad-free episodes plus bonus content at https://patreon.com/FourthCurtain
Audio Editor: Bryen Hensley Video Editor: Sarkis Grigorian Producer: Shanglan (May) Li Art: Paul Russel Community Manager: Doug Zartman Featuring Liberation by 505
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