PocketGamer.biz Podcast

Oscar Clark, CEO of Fundamentally Games, joins the discussion to share insights on Unity's recent decision to cancel its controversial Runtime Fee, a significant shift for developers. The team also dives into Microsoft's job cuts post-Activision Blizzard acquisition and the broader implications on the gaming workforce. They touch on Apple's iPhone 16 announcement and the impact of Dutch Games Garden's closure. Emphasizing the industry's challenges, they reflect on trust issues and innovation dynamics in mobile gaming.

Mariusz Gąsiewski, a leading expert in mobile gaming and apps at Google, known as 'The Insights Guy', discusses the importance of data in game development. He reveals emerging trends in casual and strategy games while highlighting shifts in revenue dynamics, particularly between the UK, Germany, and the declining US market. Gąsiewski emphasizes adapting strategies for different audiences, the rise of hybrid casual games, and opportunities in emerging markets like Brazil and Saudi Arabia, providing invaluable insights for game developers.

Traditionally, studios faced a tough choice: either crank out hypercasual games at speed or concentrate on crafting deeper player engagement with fewer releases. TapNation breaks this mould—and brilliantly—mastering both approaches to top 1 billion downloads just four years after its founding. On this week’s episode of the PocketGamer.biz Podcast, Vincent Février, Chief Marketing Officer at TapNation, returns to share the winning strategies behind the company’s rapid rise and recent acquisition of UA Hero. Vincent unveils how TapNation’s company culture fosters creativity and bold moves, driving the daring shifts in its marketing strategy that spurred a near 10% LTV uplift. He explores how their focus on product-led growth drives long-term engagement, reveals the CMP TapNation chose to power customer-driven privacy policies, and shares the retention and retargeting strategies proven to keep and call back players. CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS 00:00 - Intro 03:00 - Hiring at TapNation 06:29 - A shift in marketing 11:02 - Product-led growth 13:28 - Where the success comes from 17:24 - Why the next billion downloads will be harder to get 19:22 - Real-growth retention strategies 22:29 - A win-back reward 27:03 - How TapNation hacks hybrid ad mon 33:25 - CMPs affecting revenue 36:39 - TapNation's main goal in the next 12 months 42:44 - Wrapping up * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  ** 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

Craig Chapple, Daniel Griffiths, and Aaron Astle from the PocketGamer.biz team discuss the latest mobile games industry news from the past week. We delve into Savvy Games Group's big MENA investments and partnerships, the closure of Finnish developer Lightneer, and how Pokémon Masters EX has quietly generated $335m+ in gross revenue. Craig also talks about the Godzilla movies a little bit too much. ** 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/ 👉🏻 PocketGamer.biz MasterClass - https://www.pocketgamer.biz/announcing-the-pocketgamerbiz-masterclasses-summer-2024-programme/ 👉🏻 PocketGamer.biz Mobile Games Industry Trends Survey - https://www.pocketgamer.biz/what-are-the-hottest-mobile-gaming-trends-right-now-let-us-know-in-our-2024-mobile-games-industry-survey/ **Articles** 👉🏻 Savvy Games Group strikes key deals to power MENA industry growth - https://www.pocketgamer.biz/savvy-games-group-strikes-key-deals-to-power-mena-industry-growth/ 👉🏻 It's lights out at Lightneer as the studio officially announces closure - https://www.pocketgamer.biz/its-lights-out-at-lightneer-as-the-studio-officially-announces-closure/ 👉🏻 Pokémon Masters EX turns five: Lessons from an IP and monetisation masterpiece - https://www.pocketgamer.biz/pokmon-masters-ex-turns-five-lessons-from-an-ip-and-monetisation-masterpiece/

Pixel United, known for its portfolio of popular F2P titles and millions of active players, has nailed the art of squeezing revenue from ads without squeezing the fun out of a game. On this week’s episode of the PocketGamer.biz Podcast, Kelly Kang, Senior Director of Ad Monetisation & Partnerships at Pixel United, joins host Peggy Anne Salz to share pages from her playbook and to shed light on what the role of an ad monetisation manager means in today’s games market. Kelly delves into her unexpected experiences in the role, the importance of collaborating with game developers, and which ad formats truly deliver value. She also explores why brands are slow to embrace in-game ads, the effectiveness of in-app header bidding, and what it takes to build a top-tier ad monetisation team. CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS 00:00 - Intro 02:10 - The unexpected part of the job 07:12 - Convincing the game devs 10:45 - Which ad formats are worth the hype 13:43 - What's different about the offer wall?  15:56 - Why are brands lagging behind? 18:52 - How to get in front of brands 23:20 - What the agencies want 27:06 - Experiences with CMPs 30:28 -What does ad-mon really do?  34:50 - Is in-app bidding really better? 37:41 - What does it take to build a good ad-mon team? 41:10 - Favourite games Q&A  43:00 - The mark ad-mon can leave on a studio * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  ** 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

Craig Chapple, Daniel Griffiths, and Paige Cook from PocketGamer.biz delve into the standout trends from Gamescom 2024. They discuss Apple’s new policies in response to regulatory pressure and how this impacts the mobile gaming landscape. The excitement surrounding the exclusive reveal of Monument Valley 3 for Netflix is palpable. There’s also a spotlight on the rise of Eastern game developers and the evolving revenue trends, particularly the backlash against the 30% revenue share model. Insights into new game features like rewarded ads in Monopoly Go add to the conversation.

Excitement brews for Gamescom as the team shares quirky anecdotes and personal preparations. They dive into gaming and film connections, contrasting feelings on trailers, and their competitive gaming journeys. Unity's recent financial shifts shake the mobile gaming landscape, while a push for sustainability takes shape with the Sustainable Games Alliance. Notable gaming sponsorship changes are discussed, linking mobile games with League One football. Plus, insights on AFK Journey's success in Asia and innovative trends in gaming keep the conversation lively.

CK Wang, CEO of Kooapps and former Microsoft employee, shares his journey from tech to gaming. He discusses the milestones that propelled Snake.io and Kooapps, emphasizing community engagement and evolving player experiences. The conversation highlights the shift from hypercasual to unified casual gaming and innovative monetization strategies like in-app purchases. CK also explores the role of influencer marketing and user-generated content in shaping future games, creating a strong connection with players.

Craig Chapple, Daniel Griffiths, Paige Cook, and Aaron Astle from PocketGamer.biz delve into the latest buzz in mobile gaming. They explore the mobile games market's resurgence and Nazara’s $100m investment strategy. A particularly hot topic is Turkey’s ban on Roblox, igniting discussions about industry repercussions. Daniel humorously vents about Beetlejuice's Roblox tie-in, while the group reminisces about early gaming experiences and the evolving landscape of mobile titles. Expect insights on mergers, AI in game development, and the future of beloved franchises.

Sophie Vo, a seasoned games professional with over 15 years at top studios like Rovio and PlayStation, shares her insights on leadership in the gaming industry. She discusses the critical shift from merely managing to empathetic leadership. Sophie highlights common challenges leaders face and stresses the need for emotional awareness. She proposes three self-reflection questions to enhance emotional management skills. Additionally, she talks about the importance of creating a safe environment for teams to thrive and the process of personal reinvention in gaming.