PocketGamer.biz Podcast

Greetings and salutations, people. Welcome to episode three of the PocketGamer.biz podcast, the premier audio periodical for the global mobile games market. In this episode, the PocketGamer.biz team discuss the winners of the recent Mobile Games Awards, the news that two major ‘media’ companies are moving into games, and the troubling news that one of the world’s largest games publishers still can’t treat all of its staff equally, fairly or respectfully. (02:50) Our guest in this episode of the podcast is Mark Ettle, the founder and managing director of Cobra, a game development studio based in Dundee, Scotland. Mark is a pioneer of mobile gaming and a veteran of the games sector, starting his career with the legendary DMA Design, the studio behind Lemmings, Hired Guns, Body Harvest and that car theft game everyone seems to like. Mark discusses the studio’s pioneering work in the App Store, it’s approach to development and why Cobra has gone from a mobile only, to a mobile first studio. We round up with all of the forthcoming events, from the Steel Media network, including LaunchPad, the Big Indie Pitch, and the first sighting of the ever epic Pocket Gamer Connects Digital (#8 fact fans). (33:00) Show Notes Mobile Games Awards Netflix and Zoom move into games Activision Blizzard faces lawsuit and strike action as over 3,000 staff complain about discrimination and harrassment. Special guest: interview with Cobra Mobile’s Mark Ettle Pocket Gamer Launchpad (12-13/08/2021) The Big Indie Pitch (26/08/2021) Pocket Gamer Connects Digital #8 (27/09 - 01/10/2021) Sit back, relax, prepare to be fascinated. As always, we’d love to hear your feedback, thoughts and ideas. Email us: podcast@pocketgamer.biz or get in touch via our @PGBiz handle on Twitter.  If you’re enjoying the podcast, do please leave us a review or rating. We’d appreciate it. Until next time - Listen, love, learn. The PG.biz team

Welcome back. Yes, it’s the second episode of the still new, but already legendary PocketGamer.biz podcast, which has already been rated one of the top 50 mobile games podcasts, by the editorial team of Pocketgamer.biz. In this episode Brian and Jon discuss the growing value of funding deals within the global games market, the ongoing phenomenon which is Pokemon Go and the world’s top 50 mobile game creators (since we’ve just opened applications). (02m 25s) Following on from the epic insight of episode one. Our difficult second album ramps up the awesome with our special guest, Ella Romanos, the co-founder and CEO of Live Ops expert Fundamentally Games. Ella shares her work in the games sector, and discusses the ongoing evolution of live games, the way they differ from mere ‘online’ games and where the sector may be heading next. (10m 00s) We also cover the incredible range of online events coming up from the Steel Media team, including pocket Gamer Connects Digital #7, the Big Indie Pitch and the Mobile Games Awards 2021, because we care and you feel that. In short, it’s the perfect way to learn more about the wonder of mobile gaming, while keeping your hands free for other important tasks. As always, we’d love to hear your feedback, thoughts and ideas. Email is at: podcast@pocketgamer.biz or get in touch via our @PGBiz handle on Twitter. Or, if you’re enjoying the podcast, leave us a review or rating. Until next time. The PG.biz team

Hello and welcome to the first PocketGamer.biz podcast. This is a regular new feature from the PocketGamer.biz editorial team, which will provide insight into the rapidly evolving world of mobile games.  Join Jon Jordan, Matthew Forde and Brian Baglow as they tap into their industry contacts to bring you the innovators, the pioneers, the creators, the founders and the business leaders who are shaping the global mobile market, and lifting the lid on the topics that matter most. To kick off this week’s show, the team looks at some of the key stories we’re seeing in our news feeds (03:25m):  The acquisition of Golf Clash developer Playdemic by games giant EA - could golf finally topple football from the hearts and minds of the global gaming public? (spoiler: no). In-game advertising - can we finally wave goodbye to the intrusive interstitial video ad? (spoiler: meh) Hypercasual game jams - There are millions of dollars on offer to developers for new ideas, is this the mark of a mature market, or is the sector already running out of steam (no spoiler: you’ll have to listen in to find out) The first-ever podcast guest is the excellent Martin Macmillan from Pollen VC, who explores the world of funding and finance - but not as you know it. Despite the company name, Pollen VC is not a venture capital fund, but a finance company of a different kind. Martin talks to Brian about funding and finance in game development, what it takes to support a successful title, and why equity funding isn’t always the answer. We also highlight new research which suggests that game developers need to think very carefully about their role in the industry, if they ever anticipate an ‘exit’. We’d love to hear your thoughts and feedback. You can email us: podcast@steelmedia.co.uk, or like and leave comments on Twitter: https://twitter.com/pgbiz If you enjoy the podcast a rating or review is always welcome. Thanks for tuning in.