PocketGamer.biz Podcast

AI experts Guy Gadney and Harry Holmwood discuss the use of AI in game development, from optimizing creativity to revolutionizing storytelling. They explore ethical considerations, world-building with digital dice, and navigating the machine learning minefield. Learn how AI can co-create engaging experiences with players and fundamentally change the art of storytelling.

How did Yahtzee break revenue records? What’s up with webshops, and are subscription models shaping up to match past hype? We answer all these questions and more in this episode of the PocketGamer.biz Podcast live from the floor of PGC London. Host Peggy Anne Salz leads a captivating conversation with Steel Media Ltd. executives Chris James (CEO), Craig Chapple (Head of B2B Content), and Aaron Astle (News Editor). The group gets into the weeds about redefining customer relationships, advancing IP through AI, and how studios are saying sayonara to Apple’s near 30% commission fees. Tune in for our team’s hot takes and exclusive insights on gaming in 2024, and register today for PGC San Francisco! CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS 00:00 - Intro 01:08 - Show highlights 05:47 - Small changes make a big difference 08:23 - Advancing IP through AI 14:34 - Webshops and Apple's 27% commision 21:00 - Subscription models 23:02 - Favourite talks and tracks 29:02 - Favourite games Q&A * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  ** Let's Connect ** 👉🏻 Twitter - https://twitter.com/pgbiz  👉🏻 LinkedIn Group - https://www.linkedin.com/groups/144491/  👉🏻 Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/PGbiz  👉🏻 Website - https://www.pocketgamer.biz  Check out more world-class speakers sharing their insights and expertise at one of our events. You can find details of our next event here - https://www.pgconnects.com/next-event

Karl Knights from data.ai delves into mobile gaming data and trends for 2024, revealing monetisation methods and predictive models. Lirui Ding discusses Esports' impact on engagement and community building, along with VR's potential in mobile gaming revolution.

Gabriel Lewis, Senior Director and Global Head of Accounts at Mistplay, joins the podcast to discuss how Mistplay is using rewarded play to drive lasting loyalty and engagement in mobile gaming. They explore the value of personalized rewards, collaborations between developers and gaming platforms, and the future of gaming with seamless integrations and cross-game promotions. Listen for insider tips on leveraging rewards and boosting player loyalty.

Kelly Vero, CEO and CTO of NAK3D, discusses the future of game commerce and bridging the gap between digital and physical retail. The podcast touches on topics such as web3, digital death, and the evolution of the metaverse. It also explores the rise of eSports in South Korea and the growing influence of the metaverse and web three technology in gaming.

To acquire valuable players and boost rank in the app stores, studios have to shift focus and budget to offer each user a customised experience that aligns with their unique player motivations. But the path to pinpointing player intent isn’t straightforward--especially in a privacy-first landscape that makes prediction more challenging than ever. It’s a perfect storm of conditions for revisiting and rethinking approaches that reward players for staying in the game.  Adam Jaffe, Founder and CEO of Mega Studio—an end-to-end gaming agency offering services in everything from product creation to marketing to monetisation—joins hosts Peggy Anne Samz and Brian Baglow to discuss how incentivised is powering UA and much more. Adam observes that rewarded approaches pay dividends, producing retention rates that are “40% higher” than those of non-incentivised users. This is because rewarded gives marketers bonus insights into player behavior. As Adam puts it, marketers know “exactly why” a user downloaded, allowing them to create a “railed environment” or direct path that users are nearly guaranteed to follow. He shares smart strategies to optimise this approach, from how to finetune features to create long-term users to where to place ads to maximise monetisation. Lastly, he offers advice on marrying product and marketing and explains why incentivised traffic can potentially become a critical data signal studios can harness to optimize everything.  CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS 00:00 - Intro 03:15 - Why gamification?  05:44 - Biggest misconception about rewarded traffic 09:30 - The nuts and bolts of incentivised traffic 13:05 - Maximising monetisation 18:16 - Finding the incentivised sweet spot 24:18 - Optimising for player motivation 27:08 - The future of incentivised traffic 32:45 - Favourite games Q&A with Adam * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  ** Let's Connect ** 👉🏻 Twitter - https://twitter.com/pgbiz  👉🏻 LinkedIn Group - https://www.linkedin.com/groups/144491/  👉🏻 Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/PGbiz  👉🏻 Website - https://www.pocketgamer.biz  Check out more world-class speakers sharing their insights and expertise at one of our events. You can find details of our next event here - https://www.pgconnects.com/next-event

Profitable UA is about connecting with the right players at the right time in the right context. Using traditional targeting tools, UA managers can manually parse through data to predict who is the best fit. But ultimately, this approach eats up marketers' time—and ad spend. Gamelight’s AI-powered algorithm cuts out the guesswork, locating only the players sure to produce high LTV and delivering 4x ARPU uplift in just a few days. Günay Aliyeva, Co-founder of Gamelight, a company that removes the heavy lifting from UA, joins host Peggy Anne Salz on the show this week. She says it's time to toss the timeworn targeting tools and embrace automation to revolutionise UA. She talks about trusting AI to optimise monetisation and how Gamelight’s self-learning algorithm builds upon itself to extract the most value from new and existing players. Finally, she shares how to level up your game and what it takes to establish a successful startup. She would know—she’s built three! CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS 00:00 - Intro 03:23 - AI optimising in-app purchases 06:48 - Perfecting player targeting and UA optimisation 14:05 - Learning to trust the algorithm 17:10 - What it takes to build a successful startup 21:46 - Build your app during launch, not before 24:34 - Favourite games Q&A with Gunay * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  ** Let's Connect ** 👉🏻 Twitter - https://twitter.com/pgbiz  👉🏻 LinkedIn Group - https://www.linkedin.com/groups/144491/  👉🏻 Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/PGbiz  👉🏻 Website - https://www.pocketgamer.biz  Check out more world-class speakers sharing their insights and expertise at one of our events. You can find details of our next event here - https://www.pgconnects.com/next-event

The games industry faced a brutal year in 2023, with unofficial layoff estimates reaching an alarming 10,000. The stakes remain high in 2024, and job seekers need to double down to secure a position amidst reduced hiring and increased competition. We learn how to “pimp our LinkedIn” and get the most out of networking opportunities in this episode with Oleg Paliy, CEO of Games Factory Talents, a recruiting agency that connects global talent with leading Finnish games studios. Joining our hosts Peggy Anne Salz and Brian Baglow, Oleg gives PG.biz Podcast listeners some tough love and expert advice on nailing your dream job in 2024. If you like what you hear in this show, don't miss out on your chance to connect with him in real life at PGC London, where Games Factory Talents will be hosting the career zone and giving attendees advice on their LinkedIn, resume and next career move. CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS 00:00 - Intro 02:38 - The layoff landscape for 2024 04:20 - How to "pimp" your LinkedIn 07:13 - How to capture a recruiter's eye 10:28 - The most in-demand positions of 2024  14:51 - Hiring for soft skills  20:39 - Are you a diver or a surfer? 24:05 - Connect with Games Talent Factory 28:33 - Favourite games Q&A with Oleg * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  ** Let's Connect ** 👉🏻 Twitter - https://twitter.com/pgbiz  👉🏻 LinkedIn Group - https://www.linkedin.com/groups/144491/  👉🏻 Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/PGbiz  👉🏻 Website - https://www.pocketgamer.biz  Check out more world-class speakers sharing their insights and expertise at one of our events. You can find details of our next event here - https://www.pgconnects.com/next-event

Game studios face tough choices in 2024 with user acquisition. Matt Conlin from Fluent discusses shifting from 'growth at all costs' to targeted strategies for high-value users. He evaluates game-changing UA trends, shares exclusive SWOT analyses of UA channels, and highlights tactics for profitability in 2024. The podcast also touches on third-party app stores, retail challenges, and favorite games. The hosts thank listeners and look forward to future episodes.

Yaron Leyvand, Executive VP at Zynga, shares Zynga's strategy for growth and success in the gaming industry. They focus on live ops and content, explore innovative changes in puzzle games, and emphasize the importance of player engagement. The podcast also discusses Zynga's approach to acquisitions and their collaboration with Take-Two. Finally, they mention the upcoming 10-year anniversary celebration of PocketGamer Connects.