

Naavik Gaming Podcast
Naavik
The Naavik Gaming Podcast is a business-focused exploration of the companies, trends, strategies and leaders that are defining the future of games. To learn more and see other great content visit www.naavik.co.
Episodes
Mentioned books

5 snips
Jan 5, 2024 • 1h 8min
Game Awards Stats / VR Struggles / China Regulations / Square Enix Letter
The podcast covers topics like the Game Awards surpassing Super Bowl viewership, VR's struggles and potential turnaround, China's regulations on mobile games, and Square Enix's CEO pivot towards AI in the annual public letter.

Dec 22, 2023 • 1h 13min
Our Games Industry Predictions for 2024
The podcast discusses the Epic Games Store policy shift and future predictions for the gaming industry in 2024. They explore the evolving landscape of gaming consoles, subscription models, and the role of AI in gaming. The panelists offer diverse perspectives on user-generated content platforms, investment trends, and the mobile gaming scene. They also discuss growth opportunities in the console market and touch on the impact of ESRB ratings and generative AI on game development. Additionally, they compare Roblox and Fortnite as UGC platforms, explore challenges in fundraising and mobile gaming, and analyze the Epic versus Google case.

Dec 20, 2023 • 54min
The Advent of AI Analytics
The podcast explores AI analytics in the gaming industry and how it can enhance traditional analytics. The guests discuss their backgrounds in the gaming industry and their experiences with AI integration. They explore the distinction between AI analytics and traditional analytics, highlighting the importance of actionable data. The podcast also explores the necessary conditions and challenges for implementing AI analytics, and provides advice on starting small and building momentum.

Dec 19, 2023 • 48min
Forever Digital Pets in the Petaverse
Susan Cummings, Founder & CEO of Tiny Rebel Games, talks with host Niko Vuori about the concept of digital pets on the blockchain. They discuss bonding with digital pets, integrating AR and hardware, and the challenges of being a consumer product and back end for developers and brands. They also explore monetization plans and the audacious vision of pets evolving and passing on experiences in the Petaverse.

Dec 15, 2023 • 1h 7min
LEGO Fortnite Pops / Google's Legal Loss / ESRB vs Web3 / The Game Awards
The podcast discusses the successful collaboration between LEGO and Fortnite, Epic's legal victory against Google, the controversial 'Adults Only' rating for Gods Unchained, and the implications for web3 gaming. They also delve into the game announcements from The Game Awards and the rise of small teams in the gaming industry. Additionally, they explore the controversies surrounding The Game Awards, the rise of China in the gaming industry, and the excitement for upcoming games in 2024.

Dec 13, 2023 • 49min
Unraveling Content Creator Programs
In this podcast, the hosts discuss the rising popularity of content creator programs in the gaming industry. They explore the difference between content creator programs and influencer marketing campaigns, as well as the metrics and benchmarks for content creator programs. They also discuss the success of content creator programs in different games and explore various programs such as Fortnite's support a creator program and Supercell's creator program for Clash Royale and Brawl Stars. The podcast ends with a discussion on the Bloons content creator program and the significance of motivation in initiating similar programs.

Dec 10, 2023 • 1h 6min
Lessons in Entrepreneurship, Kid-Tech, and UGC
Serial entrepreneurs that always win are a rare breed worth learning from, and we’re hosting one of those special people today as our guest. Dylan Collins is currently an investor but was the founder and CEO of DemonWare, Jolt, and SuperAwesome, which sold to Activision Blizzard, GameStop, and Epic Games, respectively. In this conversation, we explore a few of Dylan’s lessons learned from running and selling so many companies. We then take a detour to discuss the current and future state of the kid-tech market, including what video game companies should consider in the coming years. Lastly, we touch on the early days of UEFN, Roblox’s expanding moat, and what the next generation of founder-creators could bring to the table within UGC, before closing with some exciting trends and book recommendations.If you want to follow Dylan’s musings, make sure to follow his blog: https://dylancollins.com/ We’d also like to thank Nexus for making this episode possible! Nexus’s creator program in-a-box makes it easy for game devs to build and manage a world-class creator program, driving significant growth in conversion, ARPPU, retention, and LTV. To learn more, go to http://nexus.gg/naavikIf you like the episode, please help others find us by leaving a 5-star rating or review! And if you have any comments, requests, or feedback shoot us a note at podcast@naavik.co. Watch the episode: YouTube ChannelFor more episodes and details: Podcast WebsiteFree newsletter: Naavik DigestFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | WebsiteSound design by Gavin Mc Cabe.

Dec 8, 2023 • 1h 7min
GTA VI Trailer / Hybridcasual Success / Africa's Gaming Market
The podcast discusses topics like the leaked GTA VI trailer, the success of hybrid casual games, the collaboration between Epic Games and Lego for a Lego-themed game in Fortnite, Microsoft's potential strategy in the mobile gaming market, and the growth and potential of the African gaming industry.

5 snips
Dec 3, 2023 • 1h 1min
UEFN Studios: Boom, Bust, or Choose Roblox?
Alex Seropian, founder of Bungie, and Amy Wu, partner at Menlo Ventures, sit down with the host to discuss building in the UEFN ecosystem, business models for UGC studios, and the showdown between Roblox and UEFN. They also touch on the importance of community support, better tools in game development, monetization and budget allocation, protecting content on Roblox, and building successful games on Epic and Roblox.

Dec 1, 2023 • 1h 7min
Nuverse Winds Down / Shrapnel Lawsuit / Business Of Gaming Awards
This week's podcast covers ByteDance winding down its gaming arm, the Shrapnel lawsuit, surprising motivations in League of Legends play, and a theoretical Business of Gaming awards. They also discuss Unity's struggles, high interest rates in the gaming industry, best moves by gaming companies, and game launch success.