PocketGamer.biz Podcast

A longtime board game lover and superstar marketing strategist, Faith Price understands what drives user retention and how to coordinate a killer soft launch. She shares her launch expertise with the PG.Biz audience this week. In this episode, Faith, Director of Growth Marketing at DoubleDown Interactive, and our cohost, Peggy Anne Salz, discuss what shifts in soft launch strategy tell us about what lies ahead for the gaming industry. Faith also divulges the DoubleDown team's big change to their soft launch process that paid off down the development road. In even bigger news, we’re up for the Best In British Podcast Awards! Vote for the PocketGamer.biz Podcast here before voting closes. CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS 00:00 - Cast your vote for the Pg.Biz podcast 00:46 - Welcome, Faith, to the podcast 02:49 - What do soft launches tell us about gaming?  06:17 - Are soft launches what they used to be? 09:01 - The timeline for an effective soft launch 13:34 - Reading data differently 18:00 - Teamwork makes the dream work 21:32 - A change to Double Down's soft launches that paid off 23:58 - Is AI part of co-creation? 25:32 - How Faith's personal life motivates her professional 28:50 - Faith as a superhero character * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  ** 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

Our guest rockets results and achieves sustainable success thanks to what co-host Brian Baglow calls the 4Ps: people, platform, partnerships, and personalisation. Tobias Edl, Director of Marketing & New Business at WHOW Games GmbH, joins Brian and Peggy Anne Salz in this episode to explain how WHOW's immersive tactics and attractive dual monetisation method create a loyal player base and have led to millions of game downloads across app stores. Tobias expands on the effect of real-time gameplay on player interest and reveals an aspect of successful strategy that he thinks marketers are missing. CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS 00:00 - The face you need to know 03:02 - Walking through Vegas on your phone 07:11 - Keeping player interest high with real-time gameplay 09:11 - Tobias' personal connection to his games 11:55 - Monetising with IP 13:40 - What sets Whow Games apart? 15:37 - Choosing a winning creative 18:09 - The importance of localisation 19:33 - Third-party app stores...are they worth it? 22:16 - What are marketers missing 24:10 - Games Q&A with Tobias  * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  ** 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

Nicknamed by our cohost Peggy Anne Salz as the Medici Man for his numerous talents and cross-industry experience, our guest this week has worked on both the publishing and the development sides of gaming. He predicted that social connectivity and games would go hand in hand and anticipated the pay-off. He also helped create early prototypes for mobile gaming. Little wonder that Robert Burnett, COO of Hashbang Games, knows what's next in the game industry and strongly advises devs to take a cross-platform approach. Hashbang specialises in backend development and integration, helping indie teams optimise their growth by providing and implementing cross-platform solutions that allow them to compete with the manpower of AAA studios. Alongside our hosts, Peggy Anne Salz and Brian Baglow, Robert draws from his  30+ years of experience in game development to offer indie studios advice on everything from the right tools for user analytics to how they tap their secret advantage to successfully swim alongside the industry big whales.  CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS 00:00 - Meeting Brian and his journey into the games industry 05:37 - Predicting game connectivity and games as a service 10:48 - Advice for indie developers and tools to utilise 16:00 - Robert puts his money where his mouth is with Hashbang's game Light Violence 21:58 - Should indies be both developer and publisher? 24:00 - What level of niche is too niche? 26:02 - Apple's AR: A hit or a miss? 28:47 - Find the right market for your product 31:04 - Robert's brutal advice for the PG.biz audience 33:30 - Q&A with Robert * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  ** 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

SKIDOS, referred to by its CEO as “the Netflix of learning apps,”  sits at the intersection of gaming, learning, and kid-friendly technology by converting popular casual mobile app games into learning apps for children aged two to seven. With over two million kids playing SKIDOS games, plus a Family Choice Award and Best of Mobile Apps Silver Award under its belt, it’s clear that SKIDOS is an expert in UA and UX. We welcome the company’s Founder and CEO, Aditya (Adi) Prakash, onto the podcast this week. Throughout the episode, Adi explains to the PG.Biz podcast audience how SKIDOS maintains its growth momentum with its unique spin on the subscription service model and emphasis on child-safe tech. What’s more, Adi reveals how SKIDOS achieved a 95% organic growth rate without investing in any paid UA. CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS 00:00 - Welcome Adi to the show 03:15 - Building the Nextflix of learning apps 07:05 - Adi's inspiration to start SKIDOS 08:58 - How SKIDOS works in-app 10:42 - Selling to two different demographic groups at once 13:45 - What's in it for the developers? 15:52 - How SKIDOS succeeds with only organic growth 20:39 - What brands would pair well with SKIDOS? 23:38 - Generative AI: to use or not to use? 27:01 - Q&A with Adi * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  ** 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

Matthew Zoern, Head of Studio at Solid Bash, outlines what developers can gain from identifying "the fun factor" — the core component of Solid Bash's "features-based iterative process."  Matthew reveals how his team meld aspects of old-school game development with new transformative techniques to ensure games are entertaining for the long term. Alongside our hosts, Peggy Anne Salz and Brian Baglow, he dives into his background with virtual collectibles to divulge how this approach helps his team craftily combine the digital and physical. Tune into this episode as our trio talk shop about implementing analytics innovatively and discuss what developers should know about profitable brand partnerships. CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS 00:00 - Mathew's interesting journey into the world of gaming 06:21 - Solid Bash's latest and greatest 07:45 - The benefits of a feature-first approach 13:26 - Embrace the fun factor 16:56 - Treat 'em mean, keep 'em keen 20:30 - The shift to full-cycle development 24:55 - Something for Matthew to brag about 28:44 - Are brands getting gamification wrong? 35:18 - Advice for developers looking to work with brands 38:15 - Q&A with Matthew * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  ** 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

Gamers, developers, and gaming experts alike united at PG Connects Seattle last month. We’re here with Dave Bradley, COO of Steel Media Ltd., to recap the exciting event. Dave tells our hosts, Brain Baglow and Peggy Anne Salz, that AI, indies, and blockchain games were on everyone's minds at this PGC gathering. Attendees were also lucky to experience the first-ever PG Connects recruitment affair. This episode isn’t one to miss, with some shocking facts about iOS app releases, a taboo topic that sparked intense conversation, and a free app idea for anyone brave enough to build it.  CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS 00:00 - Introductions & a shocking fact about iOS app releases 03:50 - Why Seattle? 06:09 - Hot topics and new additions at PG Connects Seattle 10:06 - Tailoring events to specific regions 15:38 - What unpopular topic turned out popular at PGC Seattle? 21:19 - A new PGC addition for free-flowing conversation 23:21 - Scottish games events 25:29 - Tinder for games? 27:47 - Updates on the next PGC events * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  ** 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

Blockchain gaming: a flash in the frying pan or an auspicious opportunity for the gaming industry? Gaming expert Martine Spaans leans toward the latter. In this episode, our cohosts, Peggy Anne Salz and Brian Baglow, sit down with Martine to discuss this controversial corner of the gaming world. As General Manager of the Dutch Games Association and Founder of Tamalaki Games, Martine sees blockchain gaming as a new chance for many developers — new technology, new audiences, and new rewards. Throughout the episode, the trio discusses the blockchain economy's unique benefits and how Web3 offers a special space for community-building and interoperability. The group also ask existential questions like "What is a game?" and "How do games affect life outside of entertainment?" "I think it's important to move with the market and not stay too stationary for too long," says Martine. "Because in a fast-evolving industry like ours, it's a way of survival." CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS 00:00 - Introductions 03:03 - What is it like to work in games in the Netherlands? 06:35 - The Dutch gaming divide and challenges 09:19 - Martine's rise through the gaming world's ranks 15:32 - The benefits of being your own blockchain game publisher 20:53 - Understanding the difference between gamers and blockchain gamers 23:23 - The critical question: What is a game? 28:56 - Favourite games Q&A with Martine * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  ** 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

Last week, we discussed the post-privacy world with a data carnivore. This week, we met with an ASO maestro. Claudia Trujillo, ASO expert at Gameloft, sits down with Peggy Anne Salz in this episode to bust myths and explain how she blends art and science to create a symphony of successful paid campaigns. From ASO's effect on UA visibility and performance to its AB test's impact on UA ads, Claudia dispels common misconceptions about the relationship between these acquisition aids. CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS 00:00 - Marketers: It's time to play! 02:20 - Busting ASO myths 09:38 - Surprise! ASO categories can impact UA visibility 13:10 - How to balance UA costs and ASO conversion rates 18:42 - No more brainstorming meetings. Put the data in a dashboard 20:01 - You guessed it, ASO average rating affects UA too 21:38 - Sometimes mistakes are a blessing 24:59 - How Claudia is utilizing AI  27:58 - Where is Claudia headed next? * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  ** 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

“Targeting is becoming more and more of a problem,” says Piyush Mishra, Head of Growth Marketing At Product Madness, a top-grossing leader in social casino mobile games. The host of his podcast, In The Sandbox with Adam Smart, explains how consumer preference for privacy-centric practices pressures marketers to rethink targeting and embrace contextual clues. Alongside our hosts Peggy Anne Salz and Brian Baglow, Piyush reveals the techniques UA managers can rely on to understand their attribution data and build user data amidst these ongoing changes. Piyush also shares where marketers are failing when it comes to creatives and speculates on the future of UA with AI. CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS 00:00 - Introducing Piyush and his journey into data 05:00 - Major changes for growth marketers and updates to the Privacy Sandbox 09:55 - The two types of UA managers 12:47 - How companies are responding to targeting changes 17:29 - How does creative build user trust? 20:26 - Tips and shortcuts for early-stage developers 24:40 - What is UA without AI? 30:07 - Piyush's current and all-time favourite games and what's next for his podcast * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  ** 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

According to Kooapps Co-Founder and CEO Chun-Kai (CK) Wang, ad monetisation needs to shift toward a more unified approach. Games need to monetise off ads and in-app purchases. Luckily, maximising the ad side of game revenue is easier than ever with in-app bidding. In this episode of The Groove at 5 O’Clock, Peggy Anne Salz discusses this advanced advertising method with CK and Shobeir Shobeiri, Senior Director of Business Development at Mintegral, an AI-driven global mobile advertising platform. Shobeir reveals how switching from waterfall to in-app bidding lifted ARPDAU by 80% in some regions, while CK breaks down the key components to a killer playable ad. The trio also discuss balancing data and creatives to scale campaigns and what CK thinks is the next big opportunity in mobile gaming. CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS 00:00 - How Shobeir and CK get into The Groove 03:34 - How Kooapps approaches unified monetisation  09:07 - Live ops that involve the community 11:35 - The key components to a killer playable 16:20 - How in-app bidding brought a 40% ARPDAU uplift 18:29 - Finding a creatives campaign that works and the benefits of an opposite approach 24:06 - The best network for testing creatives 27:22 - It's data, data, data 29:26 - Kooapps is going global, and how to find the best region for your campaign 31:34 - The next big thing in mobile gaming * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  ** 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