Rise and Play Podcast

In this episode, we invite Niek Tuerlings a seasoned F2P mobile game designer and writer for naavik.co, who previously worked at Spil Games, Wooga, Voodoo, and now at Moonlit Games, a mobile studio based in Berlin. You can read the latest piece from Niek here: https://naavik.co/deep-dives/evolution-of-hybridcasual-deepdive/We cover Niek's journey in games and the importance of broadening those 7 extra skills as a designer if you want to grow in the industry:1. Game design core skills: UX/features/core gameplay/system design2. Player understanding and empathy3. Prototyping 4. Writing and communication skills5. Product management, understanding the business of games6. Narrative / Storytelling7. Leadership Niek and I built the first casual studio at Voodoo and launched Plantopia in 2020, as the first internal casual game published at Voodoo. We talk about how we approached game development developing casual games with hypercasual speed. We delve into player retention, monetization, and the value of smaller team sizes in F2P games. Topics discussed:- Building casual games in a hyper-casual way- Career journey as a designer in the gaming industry- Experiences at Wooga and the development of Plantopia- F2P business model and player retention- Writing endeavors and gaining market knowledge- New venture at Moonlit Games and the influence of blockchain technology. Current game: Rogue Nation (⁠Android⁠/⁠iOS⁠) by ⁠moonlitgames.io⁠If you want to get in touch with Niek:Blog: ludocious.com💌 Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play for further news: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.riseandplay.io/blog⁠⁠⁠⁠⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ If you enjoyed today's episode make sure to rate it on Spotify, leave a review on Apple Podcasts, or simply share it with a friend. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit riseandplay.substack.com

In this episode, we are joined by Oscar Carbonell, currently serving as the Chief of Staff at Rossum, trained Coach and former Product Leader in games. We delve into the world of coaching and people leadership in the gaming industry, shedding light on the essential role it plays in fostering effective leadership and organizational development.The discussion expands to reflect on the games industry's potential to learn from more mature industries and the power of coaching in supporting CEOs and engaging teams effectively. Sophie and Oscar examine the 3 key leaders' fears and their impact on leadership, as well as the concept of self-responsibility and its correlation with business outcomes. The importance of understanding oneself and resolving personal conflicts is emphasized as a prerequisite for impactful leadership. We also demystify the distinctions between coaching, mentoring, and consulting, with coaching being defined as a process that encourages individuals to find their own answers and lead authentically.Topics Discussed:- Coaching and people leadership in the gaming industry- The role of a Chief of Staff in game companies- The importance of self-awareness in leadership- 3 most common fears and their impact on leadership style- Coaching as a tool for personal growth and self-discovery- The distinction between coaching, mentoring, and consulting- The prerequisites for coaching and the commitment it requires- The transformative power of coaching in personal and professional life💌 Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play for further news: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.riseandplay.io/blog⁠⁠⁠⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ If you enjoyed today's episode make sure to rate it on Spotify, leave a review on Apple Podcasts, or simply share it with a friend. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit riseandplay.substack.com

We interview Taehoon Kim, the co-founder and CEO of nWay, the successful multiplayer fighting games company behind Chrono Blades and Power Rangers: Legacy Wars, acquired by Animoca Brands in 2020. TK shares his journey into the gaming industry as a serial entrepreneur, including his experience at Samsung, Real Time Worlds, and founding Nurian Software which was later acquired by Netmarble. TK shares the journey of nWay, a gaming company focused on delivering the best fighting multiplayer games with various IPs across multiple platforms. We delve into the 10-year evolution of the company, from initially creating games for Facebook, then expanding to mobile, console, and PC, all the way to collaborating with renowned IPs like Power Rangers and WWE. For the funny anecdote, find out how Street Fighter characters made it into the Power Rangers universe! Disclaimer: The fans were very upset at first! Luckily it has been deescalated with humour!Key points:- Key business insights on the challenges and rewards of building and selling companies such as Nway and Nurian Software.- Discussion on the significance of teamwork, passion, and pioneering new game experiences.- TK's take on the importance of an idea-driven company culture and avoiding the hiring of people with big egos.- Exploration of the ideal team size for innovative game development and the critical evaluation of culture fit during hiring process.- Insights into the funding and success milestones of Nway's popular games like Power Rangers and WWE.- Discussion about strategic partnerships with IP holders resulting from Nway's success.💌 Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play for further news: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.riseandplay.io/blog⁠⁠⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ If you enjoyed today's episode make sure to rate it on Spotify, leave a review on Apple Podcasts, or simply share it with a friend. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit riseandplay.substack.com

In this episode, Sophie Vo is joined by Anton Gorodetsky, the Head of Industry Relations at MyGames. Anton discusses the shift to hybrid work and MyGames' transition to fully distributed teams. They talk about the benefits of remote work, such as finding talent globally and working with international teams.They also dive into the challenges and considerations of establishing offices and hubs in different locations, including legal and tax implications. Anton emphasizes the importance of analyzing market development and talent concentration when choosing office locations.Sophie and Anton discuss the success of MyGames' game Rush Royale (over $230M lifetime revenues) and how it was made fully remote with a small, talented team. They emphasize the need for trust and collaboration among team members.The conversation concludes with a discussion on the impact of different cultures on remote work and the importance of cultural awareness and education. Topics discussed:- Shift to hybrid work and fully distributed teams- Benefits of remote work- Establishing offices and hubs in different locations- Legal and tax implications- Success of Rush Royale (over 230MM lifetime revenues)- Trust and collaboration in remote teams- Impact of different cultures on remote work💌 Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play for further news: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.riseandplay.io/blog⁠⁠⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ If you enjoyed today's episode make sure to rate it on Spotify, leave a review on Apple Podcasts, or simply share it with a friend. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit riseandplay.substack.com

In this latest episode, we welcome Kalle Kaivola, co-founder of Lightheart Entertainment, known for their hit game Mr. Auto Fire (over 16 million downloads). Together, we discuss the company culture and the challenges of building a holacratic culture, inspired by the Teal organization described in the book "Reinventing Organisations" by Frederic Laloux.Holacracy is a system of self-management where leadership roles are not subject to a traditional hierarchy of command. Instead of having a static job description, individuals in a holacracy assume multiple roles, each associated with a purpose, domain, and accountabilities. It distributes authority and decision-making through a holarchy of self-organizing teams rather than being vested in a management hierarchy.While it looks great on paper, how does that work in practice? This approach impacts all the layers of what makes a company culture and strategy: Who joins the company? Who makes the decisions and on what? How decisions are being made (not by the CEO or leaders). Which games are greenlighted?Four years since its founding, the team has been growing with this core holacratic culture and delivering proven success with Mr. Autofire. Maybe there are aspects that you can take away from a holacratic culture for your own company. How ready are you to let go of control?🎥 Watch it on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/O4NOnciptDg💌 Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play for further news: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.riseandplay.io/blog⁠⁠⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ If you enjoyed today's episode make sure to rate it on Spotify, leave a review on Apple Podcasts, or simply share it with a friend. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit riseandplay.substack.com

In this episode, Sophie Vo, founder of Rise And Play, and Miska Katkoff, former CEO and co-founder of Savage Games, and founder of Deconstructor Of Fun reflect on their key lessons in starting a new company.We dive into the importance of self-esteem and self-awareness when throwing yourself out there to build your new business and being 100% behind it. We also cover strategies for dealing with negative feedback and the importance of self-reflection and self-evaluation. The conversation shifts to the common pitfalls of leadership, specifically misalignment within teams. Sophie emphasizes the need for alignment in vision, values, and purpose within a company and highlights the challenges that can arise when co-founders have different motivations. At the end, we offer avenues on how to achieve deep alignment in your team, through group mediation and sometimes therapy at an individual level.🎥 Watch it on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/gREnrlUoG5I💌 Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play for further news: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.riseandplay.io/blog⁠⁠⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ If you enjoyed today's episode make sure to rate it on Spotify, leave a review on Apple Podcasts, or simply share it with a friend.Have a great week, don't forget to take care of yourself 💜 This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit riseandplay.substack.com

In this latest episode, we welcome Martial Valery, co-founder of Oh Bi Bi, a French mobile video game studio known for their latest hit, Frag Pro Shooter (over 150 million downloads). We are reflecting on over a decade of founding, building, and growing the studio, navigating the ups and downs of the company, including scaling up and down, company and game pivots. Martial opens up about the failures and lessons learned, such as the painful experience of a game flop, disappointment, and losing people. I appreciate how open and humble Martial is in sharing these entrepreneurial mistakes because there is as much to learn from the mistakes (if not more) as there is from the wins.We will also delve into OBB's unique approach to game development, emphasizing its aim to create fresh, fun, and original games that leave a positive impact on gaming culture. The main lesson learned over a decade is the continued focus on hiring amazing talent and the importance of working with kind-hearted individuals is the foundation of a sustainable business in the gaming industry.Topics discussed in this episode:- Martial's journey from Gameloft to starting OBB- Challenges faced as a young creative director- Lessons learned from game failures- Importance of company culture and direction, in hindsight - OBB's creative-driven approach to game development- Balancing creativity and business- Hiring practices and company values at OBB- Embracing growth as conscious leaders in the industry💌 Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play for further news: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.riseandplay.io/blog⁠⁠⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ If you enjoyed today's episode make sure to rate it on Spotify, leave a review on Apple Podcasts, or simply share it with a friend.Have a great week, don't forget to take care of yourself 💜 This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit riseandplay.substack.com

In this episode, we interview Jens Begemann, the former co-founder and CEO of Wooga, the Berlin-based casual mobile games company behind the success of Diamond Dash, Jelly Splash, and June's Journey.We cover Jen's journey in the gaming industry and the lessons he learned as an entrepreneur that led him to found Wooga in 2008. We also explore the growth of Wooga, its successful games, and the company's shift to mobile gaming. The conversation touches on the significance of company culture, hiring the right people, and the need for constant adaptation in the ever-changing gaming market. We discuss the difficult decisions and strategic mistakes made along the way, as well as the ultimate decision to sell Wooga to Playtika at the end of 2018. Today, when we observe the company's growth and revenues, Wooga is more successful than it has ever been.Topics covered:- Challenges faced in the dot-com bubble burst in 2000- Importance of having a network and clear vision before starting a company- Growth of Wooga and its early successful games Brain Buddies, Diamond Dash, Bubble Island, Jelly Splash, Pearl's Perils- Shift from Facebook games to mobile games- Importance of company culture and hiring the right people, from the start- Challenges and mistakes made leading to a difficult year with layoffs in 2017- Decision to sell Wooga to Playtika in 2018- Why Playtika was the right choice for Wooga, post-acquisition💌 Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play for further news: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.riseandplay.io/blog⁠⁠⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ If you enjoyed today's episode make sure to rate it on Spotify, leave a review on Apple Podcasts, or simply share it with a friend.Have a great week, and don't forget to take care of yourself. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit riseandplay.substack.com

We say it is essential to build diverse teams for innovation, creativity, and performance. Diversity of individuals sounds great on paper, but how do we make it work as a team in practice? How do you make people who avoid confrontation collaborate with confrontational people? How do you lead a team in an egalitarian way while most of what they've known is hierarchical leadership?----Thank you to our sponsor! Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠go.solsten.io⁠⁠⁠⁠ and mention Rise x Play for a demo and receive a free feature, theme, and art style study included with your Navigator purchase, a $20,000 value. Offer valid through 8/31/23!----In this episode, we deconstruct with Jen Donahoe (Game Marketing and Growth Leader, co-host for Deconstructor Of Fun) The Culture Map book by Erin Meyer, and how we applied the 8 cultural dimensions with teams in our career:Communicating: Low vs High ContextEvaluating: Direct negative feedback vs Indirect negative feedbackPersuading: Principles- first or Applications-firstLeading: Egalitarian or HierarchicalDeciding: Consensual or Top-DownTrusting: Task-based or Relationship-based Disagreeing: confrontational or non-confrontationalScheduling: Linear or Flexible TimeNo matter where you live or grew up, you need to be intentional about where you stand on the cultural spectrum as a leader and communicate it well to your team. It is not about cultural differences only, but also personality and cognitive differences where the same frameworks apply!We are taking a break with the podcast and will come back in September with a new series on Change Management! Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play for further news: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.riseandplay.io/blog⁠⁠If you enjoyed today's episode make sure to rate it on Spotify, leave a review on Apple Podcasts, or simply share it with a friend.  This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit riseandplay.substack.com

"There's a whole bunch of leaders out there who wake up every morning and put on a mask. They transform into their work selves, playing a role they think they're supposed to play. It's like they're living a double life. But let me tell you, it's not easy to keep up this charade.Behind that mask, these leaders face some serious challenges. They can't catch a decent night's sleep, and anxiety weighs them down day in and day out. Their energy levels go up and down like a yo-yo, and they feel exhausted most of the time..." Steve Cuss.----Thank you to our sponsor! Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠go.solsten.io⁠⁠⁠⁠ and mention Rise x Play for a demo and receive a free feature, theme, and art style study included with your Navigator purchase, a $20,000 value. Offer valid through 8/31/23.----In this episode, I am talking to Steve Cuss, who has an extensive background in the video games industry, starting his journey in 1994 as a programmer at Intelligent Games and quickly rose through the ranks, eventually becoming the Development Director and co-owner after a successful management buyout. Steve later spent 20 years in leadership roles at EA and then Criterion, leading the development of notable titles including Black, the Burnout series, Star Wars Battlefront, and latterly focusing on the Need for Speed series.In 2023, Steve decided to take his learnings outside of EA by founding The GamePlan Consultancy to help other leaders be their authentic selves with what he calls Liberated Leadership. Steve has also authored a book titled “Liberated Leadership: Lessons Learned from 20 Years Producing Video Games at EA,” which is scheduled to be published in the summer of 2023. Stay tuned!If you enjoyed today's episode make sure to rate it on Spotify, leave a review on Apple Podcasts, or simply share it with a friend. Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.riseandplay.io/blog This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit riseandplay.substack.com