PocketGamer.biz Podcast

Investing seriously in community engagement is one of the most cost-effective levers a studio can pull in a time when UA demands more budget space and organic growth remains the gold standard. But where should studios start, especially those with limited marketing spend? Mike Gallagher, Founder and CEO of Untitled Advertising Lab, says reigniting older titles can drive major growth (a 30% revenue increase for one game) and build loyalty far beyond paid marketing efforts. In this episode, he joins Peggy Anne Salz to share proven reactivation strategies, explain why community engagement needs to be a core business function (not an afterthought), and reveal how chasing virality could actually be holding your game's growth back.Mike Gallagher - https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelbriangallagher/Untitled Ad Lab - https://untitledadlab.com/CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS00:00 - Intro02:33 - Adopting an "Air Buddy" puppy03:47 - What is an engagement agency?08:00 - Reigniting an older gamer10:03 - Case studies with double-digit growth16:39 - Social listening on a shoestring budget21:19 - Mistakes to avoid25:00 - Are you on the right track?28:10 - Don't chase virality33:07 - Rapid fire Q&A for small studios37:05 - An engagement audit42:29 - One small change to make today46:48 - Favourite games Q&A* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ** Let's Connect **👉🏻 X - https://x.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

PocketGamer.biz head of content Craig Chapple and news editor Aaron Astle discuss the latest games industry news on the 51st episode of the Week in Mobile Games Podcast.On this week’s show we cover:The EU's €500 million fine to Apple over its anti-steering policies.How the US is getting tough on Google's ads monopoly.The news that Discord CEO Jason Citron has stepped down as it gears up to go public.Ubisoft's latest dance with blockchain gaming, this time with Might & Magic.Drake Star Partners' Q1 2025 report on games industry M&A and investment.** 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👉🏻Pocket Gamer Connects Speaker Submission form - https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdoS5n-vdHu6aU-2d_rR7x1FAgewG51y3nlU1aB8RdetiKaGw/viewform👉🏻 The Top 50 Mobile Game Makers 2024 - https://www.pocketgamer.biz/the-top-50-mobile-game-makers-of-2024/👉🏻 Download the PocketGamer.biz Mobile Games Developer Trends Survey Winter 2024/25 report - https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf3tbjUxVkG17CuHHljMblfmUC3DZ6gNAzV8qiz8bAALUXSvQ/viewform👉🏻 Join the AI Gamechangers newsletter - https://aigamechangers.substack.com

Tune in for a very special episode of the PocketGamer.biz Podcast Week in Mobile Games - it's our 50th show!PocketGamer.biz head of content Craig Chapple, deputy editor Paige Cook and news editor Aaron Astle discuss the latest games industry news on the Week in Mobile Games Podcast.On this week’s episode we cover:The early days of the podcast, strange mannerisms and our favourite moments from the Week in Mobile Games.AppLovin's latest round of layoffs impacting 97 staff and what the future holds for Machine Zone.Dream Games' celebrity marketing push for Royal Kingdom, starring LeBron James, Jimmy Fallon, Courtney Cox, Shakira and more.A Minecraft Movie's box office success - but is transmedia worthwhile?Supercell's seemingly growing aversion to soft launches - would Brawl Stars be successful as a new release now?How the Nintendo Switch 2 release date and features reveal impacted its mobile apps and games.** 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👉🏻Pocket Gamer Connects Speaker Submission form - https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdoS5n-vdHu6aU-2d_rR7x1FAgewG51y3nlU1aB8RdetiKaGw/viewform👉🏻 The Top 50 Mobile Game Makers 2024 - https://www.pocketgamer.biz/the-top-50-mobile-game-makers-of-2024/👉🏻 Download the PocketGamer.biz Mobile Games Developer Trends Survey Winter 2024/25 report - https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf3tbjUxVkG17CuHHljMblfmUC3DZ6gNAzV8qiz8bAALUXSvQ/viewform👉🏻 Join the AI Gamechangers newsletter - https://aigamechangers.substack.com

PocketGamer.biz head of content Craig Chapple and news editor Aaron Astle discuss the latest games industry news on the Week in Mobile Games Podcast.On this week’s episode we discuss:The crazy Trump tariffs and their impact on the games and wider tech industry.Supercell’s celebrity marketing campaigns - Is it worth it?AppLovin’s intent to merge with TikTok’s entire "undermonetised" international business outside of China.A Minecraft Movie’s opening blockbuster success.Why Supercell wants to invest in games companies.** 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👉🏻Pocket Gamer Connects Speaker Submission form - https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdoS5n-vdHu6aU-2d_rR7x1FAgewG51y3nlU1aB8RdetiKaGw/viewform👉🏻 The Top 50 Mobile Game Makers 2024 - https://www.pocketgamer.biz/the-top-50-mobile-game-makers-of-2024/👉🏻 Download the PocketGamer.biz Mobile Games Developer Trends Survey Winter 2024/25 report - https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf3tbjUxVkG17CuHHljMblfmUC3DZ6gNAzV8qiz8bAALUXSvQ/viewform👉🏻 Join the AI Gamechangers newsletter - https://aigamechangers.substack.com

In mobile, where budgets are tight and timelines even tighter, catching friction early in development can save you millions — and keep your game out of the app store graveyard. But what does effective playtesting actually look like? And how do you turn player feedback into real, actionable improvements?That’s exactly what PlaytestCloud set out to answer in their first-of-its-kind report, Steal This Strategy.Joining Peggy Anne Salz and Brian Baglow this week is Jack Dunne, VP of Research Operations at PlaytestCloud, along with John Wright, gaming consultant and former VP of Mobile at Kwalee. They break down three core tactics top-performing studios use to turn testing into a serious competitive advantage and the #1 action step studios can take today to get started.Jack Dunne - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacka-dunne/PlaytestCloud - https://www.playtestcloud.com/John Wright - https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnwright1987/CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS00:00 - Intro02:49 - 300-mile treks & strength training05:07 - Key findings & methodology10:30 - Saving money & ugly baby syndrome14:35 - Successful studios' testing habits17:35 - #1 Testing often25:09 - #2 Testing differently 28:54 - #3 Testing competitors' games37:36 - What else can you test?41:27 - Testing cross-platform and webstores43:06 - Next direction for playtesting45:39 - #1 action item47:51 - Favourite games Q&A* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ** Let's Connect **👉🏻 X - https://x.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

PocketGamer.biz head of content Craig Chapple and news editor Aaron Astle discuss the latest games industry news on the Week in Mobile Games Podcast.On this special episode, we dive into the launch details of the Nintendo Switch 2, discussing the games, features and that $450 price point.We also cover Ubisoft and Tencent's $1.25 billion deal to prop up the publisher's leadership, France's ATT fine for Apple, and yet another short-seller report ruining AppLovin's day.** 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👉🏻Pocket Gamer Connects Speaker Submission form - https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdoS5n-vdHu6aU-2d_rR7x1FAgewG51y3nlU1aB8RdetiKaGw/viewform👉🏻 The Top 50 Mobile Game Makers 2024 - https://www.pocketgamer.biz/the-top-50-mobile-game-makers-of-2024/👉🏻 Download the PocketGamer.biz Mobile Games Developer Trends Survey Winter 2024/25 report - https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf3tbjUxVkG17CuHHljMblfmUC3DZ6gNAzV8qiz8bAALUXSvQ/viewform👉🏻 Join the AI Gamechangers newsletter - https://aigamechangers.substack.com

What if creative production in games worked more like a film set — flexible, efficient, and built around doing your best work when it’s needed most? That’s the pitch behind creative as a service, and this week’s guest, Casey Dickinson, CEO of SuperFaction, is making a strong case for it.In this episode, Casey lays out how the just-in-time model helps studios bring in external talent at exactly the right moment — freeing up internal teams, reducing idle time, and allowing creatives to actually stay creative. It’s a shift that makes high-quality output more sustainable, especially for indie studios that often lack the bandwidth for LiveOps, seasonal campaigns, or ongoing content production.He also dives into the overlooked opportunity of working with niche IP — showing that you don’t need a Marvel-sized license to build reach and monetization. If you’re rethinking how your studio builds, scales, or survives in 2025, this conversation is full of ideas worth stealing.Casey Dickinson - https://www.linkedin.com/in/caseydickinson/SuperFaction - https://superfaction.com/CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS00:00 - Intro02:53 - Surfing through the games industry04:50 Helping indies ride the waves10:16 - Light-touch publishing16:26 - "Just in time" models22:33 - IP collabs done right25:38 - Campaign launch checklist27:25 - Stop being so precious with data29:22 - Effective long-term partnerships33:34 - Efficiency steps for small studios37:06 - Favourite games Q&A* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ** Let's Connect **👉🏻 X - https://x.com/pgbiz👉🏻 LinkedIn Group - https://www.linkedin.com/groups/144491/ 👉🏻 Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/PGbiz 👉🏻 Website - https://www.pocketgamer.biz

PocketGamer.biz head of content Craig Chapple, Steel Media CEO Chris James and COO Dave Bradley round up their final thoughts on GDC 2025.On this episode, they discuss:A quieter year and what that means for the conference and games industry at large.AI’s big presence without the big announcements.Who was and wasn’t on the show floor.Cancelled flights and turbulence for British travellers.** 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👉🏻Pocket Gamer Connects Speaker Submission form - https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdoS5n-vdHu6aU-2d_rR7x1FAgewG51y3nlU1aB8RdetiKaGw/viewform👉🏻 The Top 50 Mobile Game Makers 2024 - https://www.pocketgamer.biz/the-top-50-mobile-game-makers-of-2024/👉🏻 Download the PocketGamer.biz Mobile Games Developer Trends Survey Winter 2024/25 report - https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf3tbjUxVkG17CuHHljMblfmUC3DZ6gNAzV8qiz8bAALUXSvQ/viewform👉🏻 Pocket Gamer Connects San Francisco (March 17th to 18th) - https://www.pgconnects.com/sanfrancisco/👉🏻 Five takeaways from GDC 2025 - https://www.pocketgamer.biz/five-takeaways-from-gdc-2025-a-quieter-year-ai-was-the-big-trend-and-the-engine-wars-go-silent-on-the-show-floor/👉🏻 Join the AI Gamechangers newsletter - https://aigamechangers.substack.com

When MobilityWare reorganized its teams and reimagined its creative strategy, the result wasn’t just a fresh perspective—it delivered a 21% boost in CTR, powered by the tools and insights of key partners InMobi and AppsFlyer. That transformation didn’t happen in isolation; it was the product of smart collaboration, bold experimentation, and a laser focus on performance. We turned this episode of the PocketGamer Podcast into a masterclass in all three. Joining our hosts, Peggy Anne Salz and Brian Baglow, are Chris Kim, the UA mastermind behind MobilityWare's transformation, Adam Smart, AppsFlyer's Global Director of Product - Gaming and master of measurement, and Dharak Desai, the VP of Performance for North America & EMEA at InMobi Advertising, where he's written the playbook on a privacy-first growth strategy. Listen and learn from this group of unmatched UA experts as they dive into MobilityWare's success story, noting the tactics and tools that revealed a 13.5% drop in eCPI and a 38% increase in US-based iOS user growth for the studio—while offering smaller studios advice on standing out and mastering discoverability on a shoestring budget.Chris Kim - https://www.linkedin.com/in/cjkim213/MobilityWare - https://www.mobilityware.com/Adam Smart - https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-smart/AppsFlyer - https://www.appsflyer.com/Dharak Desai - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dharak-desai-a3034231/InMobi Advertising - https://advertising.inmobi.com/CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS00:00 - Intro03:53 - MobilityWare challenges post-ATT06:06 - A dramatic restructuring08:00 - InMobi & AppsFlyer partnerships10:00 - Balancing UA and retention11:47 - InMobi's role18:26 - AppsFlyer's SSOT24:45 - Lessons in getting back on track27:20 - MobilityWare's three incrementality tests30:56 - Standing out on a shoestring budget34:43 - Rapid fire cheatsheet38:32 - Favourite games Q&A

Hugo Obi, Founder of the Lagos-based Pan-African studio Maliyo Games, joins hosts Peggy Anne Salz and Brian Baglow on this episode of the Pocketgamer.biz Podcast to share how he is driving the growth of Africa’s indie game development sector. While much of the region’s gaming revenue still comes from Western-made titles, Hugo is actively changing that by building a thriving ecosystem of African studios creating games rooted in local culture and folklore. He dives into Maliyo’s major initiatives, including insights from the 2025 Africa Games Industry Report, the GameUp Africa talent accelerator in partnership with Google, and Maliyo’s recent collaboration with Disney on Iwájú: Rising Chef.Hugo Obi - https://www.linkedin.com/in/hugoobi/?originalSubdomain=ngMaliyo Games - https://www.maliyo.com/GameUp Africa - https://gameupafrica.com/2025 Africa Games Industry - https://africagamesreport.com/CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS00:00 - Intro02:20 - An abnormal start 04:48 - Telling African stories10:11 - Popular games in Africa11:20 - 2025 Africa Games Industry Report19:22 - Building an industry ecosystem22:18 - Making Disney Iwaju: Rising Chef27:08 - Safari City31:56 - A popular game is a global game35:10 - Comparing studios to car manufacturers 37:04 - GameUp Africa42:24 - Favourite games Q&A