Naavik Gaming Podcast

Discussion on Bungie's layoffs and the future of Destiny 2. Comparison between live-action Zelda movie and CG-animated Mario movie. Analysis of Epic's lawsuit against Google and the success of Fortnite's OG celebration season. Dissection of EA Sports' success with FC 24 outperforming FIFA 23.

"Naavik Gaming Podcast" welcomes Emily Tierney and Anca Agapi, Co-Founders of Tiny Comet, to discuss building a dedicated Roblox studio, acquiring users on the platform, and their mission to create "learnified" experiences. They tackle the pandemic's impact on education, the challenges of the Roblox algorithm, and the importance of immersive RPG games for learning history. The podcast also explores their unique development cycle, collaboration process, and lessons learned from gaming.

The podcast discusses the decline in gaming spend in the US despite successful games, funding trends in the industry, the impact of AI on gaming, and the beginning of earnings season with analysis on Xbox and Ubisoft's numbers.

Together with Gamesight, one of our Open Gaming Research Initiative partners, we’re exploring various go-to-market (GTM) strategies and insights, specifically for PC games.Currently, there is a growing curiosity surrounding the topic, particularly as observed in the development of new mobile games designed for cross-platform compatibility and the introduction of PC versions of existing mobile games. For example, Supercell recently released PC versions of Clash of Clans and Clash Royale. In short, the need to understand how the PC platform behaves from a go-to-market perspective is becoming increasingly important for developers across gaming verticals.To discuss all this and more, we’re joined by Adam Lieb, CEO of Gamesight, and your host, Abhimanyu Kumar, Co-founder of Naavik.We’d also like to thank Pragma for making this episode possible! Pragma is a Backend Game Engine that powers services like accounts, matchmaking and player data for the world’s most ambitious live service games. To learn more, head to https://pragma.gg/ We hope you enjoy the conversation, and do send us your thoughts, feedback and questions on podcast@naavik.co. And as always, you can help others find us by leaving a rating or review!Watch the episode: YouTube videoRead more: Naavik DigestLearn more: Naavik’s Open Gaming Research InitiativeWork with us: Naavik ConsultingFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | WebsiteSound design by Gavin Mc Gabe.

Javier Ferreira, co-CEO of Scopely, discusses the growth of the company under Savvy Games Group, the success factors behind Monopoly Go, Scopely's cross-platform ambitions with Stumble Guys, and their approach to M&A. They also talk about managing creativity at scale, Scopely's view on UGC, and their plans for the Asian market.

This week's podcast discusses Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella's pay no longer being driven by Xbox Game Pass growth targets. They also cover FaZe Clan's acquisition by Gamesquare and Netflix's 'crawl, walk, run' approach to gaming.

The podcast explores how brands can engage with consumers in metaverses, the challenges they face, and strategies for success in the gaming landscape. It discusses GameFam's collaborations with brands and IP owners in popular games like Roblox, Minecraft, and Fortnite. The concept of the metaverse in gaming is also explored, along with the challenge for brands to engage with the metaverse audience. The podcast dives into the topic of longevity in Roblox games and discusses the future of brands and transmedia IP in gaming.

Explore the rise of hybrid casual games and their unique features, monetization strategies, and revenue growth. Learn about Voodoo's approach to transforming hyper casual games and the success of 'Collect Them All'. Discover the highly successful PocketChamps game by Madbox and its power progression. Dive into the performance, monetization, and user acquisition challenges of Survivor.io. Get excited about upcoming game deconstructions and recommended essays on hybrid casual gaming.

The podcast discusses Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard and speculates on future gaming acquisitions. They also talk about the impact of economic downturn on companies, navigating job losses and startup opportunities, challenges in contract development in the gaming industry, and the potential impact of holiday sales on game releases.

In this episode, we chat with EFG’s co-CEOs, Craig Levine and Niccolo Maisto, about how this company came together, how esports has evolved in recent years, and what it’s like operating within Savvy Games. We also discuss how merging has unlocked a larger vision with new growth opportunities, EFG’s aspiration to grow “beyond play,” and what both leaders learned from integrating different teams and managing esports’ never-ending change over the past few years.