PocketGamer.biz Podcast

Industry experts Brian Baglow, Craig Chapple, Daniel Griffiths, and Paige Cook discuss the global launch of Supercell's Squad Busters, compare Steam's discoverability with Apple and Google, and debate the potential success of YouTube Playables in the mobile games industry.

A hit game can harbour hope for an up-and-coming games company. But living up to the game's name and weathering the changing tides of player needs, industry upheavals, and privacy concerns can test the limits of any studio. In this episode, María Sayans, CEO of ustwo games peels back the layers of ustwo’s monumental success, Monument Valley—now celebrating its 10th anniversary and over 160m+ downloads—and offers indie developers concrete advice on cultivating a sustainable studio that can succeed despite any storm. She sheds light on how ustwo games adapts and evolves its keystone game to keep pace with changing player habits and how cross-platform is powering the studio’s success for years to come.  * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS 00:00 - Intro 01:30 - Who are ustwo games? 05:42 - How Monument Valley shaped games 07:58 - Biggest changes to games audiences 12:30 - Are boomers the biggest gamers? 16:57 -  How ustwo games evolved to match player need 21:08 - Would Monument Valley succeed if launched today? 25:09 - Maria's leadership model 29:00 - How ustwo’s company calendar builds company culture 32:19 - Is premium still a viable model? 35:55 - Why cross-platform? 40:07 - Ustwo’s upcoming releases 43:20 - 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

Mobile games industry experts from PocketGamer.biz discuss ByteDance's $4bn Moonton plans, tips for working with the games media, and devs' views on Unity's runtime fee. They also cover leadership challenges in the industry, UGC investment opportunities, and PlayStation's move into mobile gaming.

2024 is turning out to be the year of alternatives. We have the rise of alternative app stores, alternative ads, and a sharp focus on alternative monetization models to maximise revenue potential for gaming studios. Some are mashing up advertising and in-app purchases, while others are tapping strong IP to monetise players' eyeballs. This week, we’re talking about an alternative model that raises the bar for some studios and arguments amongst others—subscription. Teis Anker Mikkelsen, CEO and Co-Founder of Multisctiption—a company offering a cross-publisher subscription service for F2P games—joins hosts Peggy Anne Salz and Brian Baglow again in this episode for a sweeping discussion of subscriptions and how the model inherently increases retention, player re-entry, and in-app spend. He shares tips for creating a friction-free payment experience, addressing subscription fatigue, scaling, and a checklist to determine if a subscription model is the right fit for your game.  00:00 - Intro 03:11 - Understanding subscriptions in apps 10:42 - Subscription increases retention 13:09 - Creating a friction-free payment experience 15:56 - Addressing subscription fatigue 19:56 - How to smooth the transition to subscription 23:36 - Who is a subscription model best for? 36:07 - How big can you scale subscriptions? 41:34 - How to adapt the model to different players 43:27 - 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

Brian Baglow, Craig Chapple, Daniel Griffiths and Paige Cook from the PocketGamer.biz team discuss the latest mobile games industry news from the past week. We cover the Xbox mobile games store and whether it's doomed to fail, the AppLovin and Unity financials nearly two years after the acquisition drama, and analyse a survey that claims Gen Z love bitcoin. ** Let's Connect ** 👉🏻 Twitter - https://twitter.com/pgbiz 👉🏻 LinkedIn Group - https://www.linkedin.com/company/pocketgamer-biz/ 👉🏻 Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/PGbiz 👉🏻 Website - https://www.pocketgamer.biz 👉🏻 Pocket Gamer Connects - https://www.pgconnects.com

Brian Baglow, Craig Chapple, Daniel Griffiths and Aaron Astle from the PocketGamer.biz team discuss the latest mobile games industry news from the past week. We cover the news that Xbox has closed Bethesda studios including Arkane Austin, Alpha Dog Games and Tango Gameworks, and discuss Microsoft's troubled games business and Game Pass strategy. We also dive into Krafton's comments about using generative AI in game development, and Apple's iPad problem. ** Let's Connect ** 👉🏻 Twitter - https://twitter.com/pgbiz 👉🏻 LinkedIn Group - https://www.linkedin.com/company/pocketgamer-biz/ 👉🏻 Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/PGbiz 👉🏻 Website - https://www.pocketgamer.biz 👉🏻 Pocket Gamer Connects - https://www.pgconnects.com

Akin Babayigit, Co-founder and President of Tripledot Studios, shares his insightful journey from Turkey to success in mobile gaming. He discusses how recognizing market gaps can predict a game’s profitability. Akin delves into the importance of data in decision-making, especially about player retention and assessing game potential. He also highlights Turkey's emergence as a mobile gaming hub and the unique challenges and opportunities presented by new performance marketing strategies. Tune in for a blend of passion and metrics in game development!

Industry experts Brian Baglow and Daniel Griffiths, along with gaming journalist Paige Cook and market researcher Aaron Astle, discuss Brawl Stars' impressive revenue, Square Enix's struggles, and Erling Haaland's arrival in Clash of Clans. They also cover Unity's new CEO, LinkedIn's gaming venture, Meta's VR challenges, and industry insights on game evolution and celebrity collaborations in mobile gaming.

Miikka Lindgren, VP of Publishing at Sandsoft Games, shares insights on the growing MENA gaming market, balancing short-term metrics with long-term growth goals, and Sandsoft's innovative approach to global publishing. He also discusses the importance of staying focused, learning from Chinese studios, and providing a sneak peek into Sandsoft's upcoming game, Business Dudes.

Craig Chapple, Daniel Griffiths, and Aaron Astle discuss Supercell's global launch of Squad Busters, Embracer Group's split into new companies, TikTok ban, and Apple's Vision Pro struggles. They also touch on tech monetization, TikTok controversies, and game development success, while exploring fostering collaboration in gaming companies and financial restructuring challenges.