PocketGamer.biz Podcast

At PGC London, Andrew Seow, Director of Monetisation at Tripledot Studios, dropped some serious ad mon advice. From hacking auctions to boost CPMs to mixing up monetization models like a pro, 2025 is all about getting creative with how to boost the bottom line. Expect smarter segmentation, data-driven insights, and a focus on engagement that actually pays off. The secret to success? Patience, strategy, and maybe even ironing your shirt for good luck.Andrew Seow - https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-seow-54006a163/Tripledot Studios - https://tripledotstudios.com/* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * **👉🏻 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

Arr matey! Andrew Mattingley, Founder/Director of indie studio NineZyme OÜ, sank his anchor at PGC London last week to learn more about UA and promote his studio's newest title: Tiles Tales: Pirates. In this interview, he chats with Peggy Anne Salz about embracing nostalgia to bring new energy and new users to indie games. Tune in to collect your treasure!Andrew Mattingley - https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-ninezyme/?originalSubdomain=ieNineZyme OÜ - http://ninezyme.com/* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ** 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

Level up your next family game night! Peggy Anne Salz chats with Adam Cain, company owner, at PGC London about Pixel Playground, a brand offering immersive VR experiences for the whole family in Southport, UK. They dive into emerging technologies in the VR space, merging with mobile, and how to leverage cross-channel gameplay to get everyone in the family playing. Listen and learn!Pixel Playground VR - https://pixelplaygroundvr.co.uk/Adam Cain - https://uk.linkedin.com/in/cainadam* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ** 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

"Gaming publishers are a long oft-overlooked opportunity for brand advertisers." This week on the PocketGamer.biz Podcast, Todd Rose, Senior Vice President of Global Business Development and Addressability at InMobi Advertising, explains how the right approach to Consent Management Platforms (CMPs) can transform compliance into real revenue—for both gaming and non-gaming advertisers. Backed by InMobi’s latest data, Todd reveals that even with minimal CMP customization, publishers can achieve a 70% opt-in rate, driving significant improvements in ad performance and revenue. Our hosts, Peggy Anne Salz and Brian Baglow, sit down with Todd and Paul Le Bas, Chief Revenue Officer at 52 Entertainment, to explore how CMPs help publishers and advertisers strike a balance between personalization, privacy, and monetization. They dive into why consent signals boost ad rates, how to fine-tune opt-in flows, and what brands need to know before hitting ‘start’ on their CMP strategy. CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS 00:00 - Intro 02:33 - Opt-out stats 11:18 - How to get players to opt-in 16:11 - How CMPs helps publishers 22:08 - What Paul wishes he knew 24:09 - Steps to improve opt-in rates 30:30 - First-party data retargeting successes 31:48 - One tip for implementing CMPs 33:35 - Favourite games Q&A

In 2025, gaming is no longer just about creating great games—it’s about creating thriving ecosystems. The rise of live-service models and player-driven economies means that success hinges on more than just initial downloads or launch-day hype. Studios now face a critical question: how do you keep players playing? Justin Sacks, CEO and Co-Founder of Nexus, offers a compelling answer: creator programs. These initiatives empower content creators to transform games into dynamic communities, driving retention, reactivation, and long-term growth in an industry where player loyalty is priority #1. Justin joins Peggy Anne Salz and Brian Baglow in this episode for a candid conversation on what it takes to build and maintain a world-class creator program. The group discusses why working with content creators proves to be a fantastic tool for sustainable growth, the mistakes and challenges studios face when getting started, why traditional influencer marketing falls short and how a revenue-sharing model sets both creators and studios up for success. Listen and learn! CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS 00:00 - Intro 01:54 - Lessons from competitive gaming 03:05 - Why creator programs matter 09:10 - Managing creator programs 13:25 - What Nexus does 14:46 - Influencer marketing vs a creator program 19:35 - Streamer to studio designer pipeline 22:08 - Steps to setting up 28:35 - Small creators still perform 31:58 - Common challenges and mistakes 38:16 - Upcoming trends 39:25 - 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

Great gaming investors bring more than just cash to the table—they offer strategy, trust, and a shared vision for success. Jetapult hits the mark on all three and, like its name, gives studios the fuel they need to rocket toward sustainable growth, focusing on empowerment rather than just rapid expansion. Peggy Anne Salz and Brian Baglow sit down with Jetapult Co-Founder and CEO Sharan Tulsiani to explore how Jetapult’s partnership-driven approach sets it apart from traditional VCs. Drawing from his experience as the former Head of Google Play Games in India, Australia, and New Zealand—and as the creator of Google’s Indie Games Accelerator—Sharan shares how Jetapult helps studios leverage data, cultural insights, and operational expertise to scale smarter. He also offers rare insights into what investors really want to hear from studios during pitches and how by prioritizing long-term stability and creative freedom, Jetapult ensures developers remain firmly in the driver’s seat. Sharan also dives into specific examples, like helping one studio cut production time by 70% with AI-driven tools and achieving #1 on app store charts by focusing on culturally resonant gameplay. CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS 00:00 - Intro 03:28 - Jetapult's unique approach 08:51 - Rejecting the Founder "hero story" 11:10 - Is your studio a fit for Jetapult? 18:28 - Why Jetapult invests more than cash 26:54 - How much growth does Jetapult deliver? 33:33 - Peggy and Brian on AI 38:22 - 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

Mobile gamers engage, splash the cash, and stick around when studios bake the right mix of personalisation and exclusivity into their gameplay. In Part 2 of our series looking at Mistplay’s Mobile Game Growth Report, Kyle West, Sr. Director of Marketing at Mistplay, and Oxana Fomina, ad monetization expert and Founder of Gradient Universe, return to reveal how studios can leverage IP and brand collaborations and craft loveable loyalty programs to rocket revenue growth. They unpack why there’s “no such thing as a non-paying player” and how the best developers create irresistible triggers that keep users coming back. Learn how to design loyalty experiences that evolve with your audience, use web shops to unlock new revenue streams, and apply dynamic pricing and FOMO-driven offers without breaking player trust. CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS 00:00 - Let's talk loyalty 03:35 - Take a step back to  06:07 - One tactic to increase retention 08:41 - Designing a loyalty program that players love 13:34 - 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 mobile games industry news from the past few weeks as the Week in Mobile Games kicks off again in 2025! In this episode, we delve into our big interview with Scopely co-CEOs Walter Driver and Javier Ferreira on how they built a $10bn gaming empire. We also take a look at the big games industry stories to keep an eye on in 2025. ** 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 👉🏻Pocket Gamer Mobile Games Awards Winners - https://www.pocketgamer.biz/mga2024/winners/ 👉🏻 The Top 50 Mobile Game Makers 2024 - https://www.pocketgamer.biz/the-top-50-mobile-game-makers-of-2024/👉🏻 Everything is a games platform - https://www.pocketgamer.biz/everything-is-a-games-platform/ 👉🏻 Pocket Gamer Awards 2024 - https://www.pocketgamer.biz/pocket-gamer-awards-2024-winners-revealed/ 👉🏻 The big games industry trends and stories to watch in 2025 - https://www.pocketgamer.biz/the-big-games-industry-trends-and-stories-to-watch-in-2025/ 👉🏻Games industry predictions for 2025: Generative AI, games as ecosystems, and thrive in '25 - https://www.pocketgamer.biz/games-industry-predictions-for-2025/ 👉🏻 How Scopely's cultural tenent of 'iterate to greatness' led to $10bn in revenue - https://www.pocketgamer.biz/how-scopelys-cultural-tenent-of-iterate-to-greatness-led-to-10bn-in-revenue/ 👉🏻 Scopely's secret sauce - https://www.pocketgamer.biz/scopelys-secret-sauce/

Mobile gamers are drowning in choices, but they’ll still spend—if your ad monetization strategy speaks to their player type and why they downloaded your game in the first place. But it’s not enough to satisfy players; studios ring in the revenues when they combine services and a sense of urgency.  This is where Mistplay’s latest Mobile Gaming Growth Report equips game devs and ad mon teams with a roadmap to profitable growth in 2025. Kyle West, Sr. Director of Marketing at Mistplay, joins hosts Brian Baglow and Peggy Anne Salz to unpack findings and show how developers can sharpen their marketing, maximise monetisation, and level up loyalty programs by crafting experiences according to player personas and gameplay preferences.  He’s joined by Oxana Fomina, well-known ad mon authority and Founder of Gradient Universe, a game analytics consulting firm. She delves into her latest client successes to reveal standout strategies studios of any size can use to turn players into payers. Listen in to Part 1 of a special two-part series where we dig into how studios can sync UA with LiveOps for better results, take small but effective steps to scale web shops, and use FOMO as motivation while still adding value to limited-time events. CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS 00:00 - Intro 04:24 - The Mistplay Mobile Gaming Growth Report 07:23 - Brand as a part of UA 10:17 - Utilizing first-party data effectively 12:05 - Aligning UA and LiveOps 15:00 - Actions for small studios 17:50 - Effective monetisation strategies 21:37 - Why web shops? 24:34 - Balance urgency with value 26:53 - Quantity vs Quality 28:57 - Advice for starting studios * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  ** 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

In 2024, our hosts Peggy Anne Salz and Brian Baglow interviewed 45 experts across the gaming industry, from straightforward studio heads and energised executives to data-driven developers and monetisation mavens. In this special edition episode, Peggy and Brian look back on the Top 7 shows of this year, recapping the pure-gold lessons and learnings from the marketers you enjoyed hearing from the most in 2024.  As this is the year’s final show, all of us at Steel Media and the Pocketgamer.biz Podcast want to wish you a happy holiday season and a joyful new year. Thanks for listening, and we’ll see you in January for the first episode of 2025! CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS 00:00 - Intro  04:35 - #7 The Innogames team 07:46 - #6 Akin Babaygit, Tripledot Studios 10:46 - #5 Patrick McSteen, Logan Square Consulting 15:02 - #4 Ryan Filsinger, Iron Fox Games 18:43 - #3 Maria Sayans, ustwo games 22:00 - #2 Teis Anker Mikkelsen, Multiscription 26:02 - #1 Daniel Tchernahovsky, AppLovin 30:41 - Year #2 of the Pocketgamer.biz Podcast * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  ** 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