The Inner Works of a Game Publisher with John Wright, Kwalee’s Publishing Head
Feb 19, 2024
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In this podcast, John Wright from Kwalee discusses the renaissance in mobile publishing, driven by privacy changes and capital constraints. They explore game tech solutions, growth strategies, and the evolution of game development models, highlighting challenges faced by developers. The episode emphasizes innovation, legacy, and the importance of efficient processes and successful publisher-developer relationships in the gaming industry.
Mobile game publishing is experiencing a renaissance due to privacy changes and limited capital for smaller companies.
Quality focuses on enhancing its publishing platform to offer comprehensive tools for testing, analytics, and creative management.
Quality is open to providing development funding, acquiring game assets, and working with developers at different stages.
Deep dives
Improving the Publishing Platform and Upkeep
Quality is looking to enhance their existing publishing platform to offer more functionality and better upkeep. They want to provide developers with comprehensive tools for testing, analytics, creative management, and more. The goal is to ensure developers have a smooth and efficient publishing experience on the platform, with regular updates and valuable content to support their games.
Investing in Development Funding and Milestones
Quality is open to providing development funding to studios, supporting them financially and ensuring they have the resources to create and refine their games. The funding would be based on agreed-upon milestones and expenses, sustaining the studio and team for a specific timeframe. Quality aims to strike a balance between fair compensation and safeguarding their own business interests.
Exploring Acquisition of Game Assets and Studios
In addition to development funding, Quality is open to acquiring game assets and studios. They view this as an opportunity to further expand their game portfolio and gain deeper insights into the industry. Acquiring successful games or untapped potential brings financial benefits to Quality, while giving the acquired developers a chance for greater compensation and future growth. This approach allows Quality to diversify their offerings and establish a stronger position in the market.
Seeking the Right Games
When seeking the right games to publish, flexibility is key for Quality. They understand that game development is not a one-size-fits-all approach and are willing to take risks and work with developers at different stages of their projects. They consider factors such as the stage of development, hours of content, and integration of monetization when assessing a game's potential. Quality also values the passion and vision of the developers, looking for those who are not afraid to try something new and redefine genres. Their goal is to find games that align with their culture and have the potential for long-term success.
The Role of Live Ops and Finding the Right Fit
Quality recognizes the increasing importance of live ops in the gaming industry. They understand that successful games require strong live ops strategies to engage players and drive long-term retention. While hybrid casual games are considered safe bets, Quality also looks for opportunities beyond the red ocean of competition. They are open to co-dev partnerships and acquiring studios that show potential but may need additional resources and support. Culture, vision, and fit are crucial factors in their decision-making process, ensuring that the developer and Quality share a similar ethos and can create a successful and harmonious partnership.
John Wright, VP of publishing at Kwalee joins the podcast to discuss publishing in 2024. The thing is, publishing on mobile is experiencing a bit of a renaissance. This is due to all the ever-restricting privacy changes and the decrease in available capital smaller companies were using to scale their games.
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