GameMakers

Why $200M games flop — and how LiveAware’s “always-on” player insight flips the odds.• Echo-chamber dev culture & launch disasters• Quant vs qual data gap killing velocity• LiveAware’s one-click capture → AI analyze → auto-Jira flow• Surfacing bugs & sentiment from Discord, YouTube, surveys• Dashboards that feed artists, designers, engineers the clips they need• Case studies: Dead as Disco, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2, Treehouse competitive intel• Indie-friendly pay-as-you-go pricing + roadmap to multi-channel feedback nirvanaOUTLINE:0:00 Underwhelming game launch failures4:00 Vision vs player expectation gap8:00 Quantitative vs qualitative data gap12:00 LiveAware capture analyze share workflow16:00 One-click streaming and transcription20:00 AI clusters themes and clips24:00 Tailored dashboards and auto Jira28:00 Multi-channel feedback aggregation explained32:00 Indie vs AAA use cases36:00 Dead as Disco success story40:00 S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 QA integration44:00 Signal vs noise management48:00 Feedback philosophy continuum debate52:00 Future roadmap and pricing plansSUBSCRIBE TO GAMEMAKERS:- Newsletter: https://gamemakers.substack.com/😃 —CONNECT WITH JK! — • INSTAGRAM → @jokim1• TWITTER → @jokim1• LINKEDIN → https://www.linkedin.com/in/jokim/

Simon from Goat Gaming shares how his team is leveraging AI and Telegram to build games in just 2-3 weeks, reaching 5.5 million users. Learn why he believes AI will be an "extinction-level event" for studios that don't adapt, and how Telegram offers a billion-user opportunity similar to early Facebook gaming.Content Outline:00:00 – AI vs. Legacy: “Extinction-level event” for slow studios02:45 – AlphaGoats & Agentic Play: How players train and deploy AI agents07:41 – History Repeat? Sports sims & idle games parallels10:08 – Why Telegram? 1B users starved for games (like early Facebook)18:12 – Telegram Strategy: Gaming as a priority on Telegram/TON19:33 – AI Dev Pipeline: 37 Fortnite maps in 37 weeks; 2–3-week game builds23:46 – Rethinking AAA: 50-person teams vs 500+ for similar quality25:25 – Team & AI: Organizational changes for AI adoption27:56 – Founder’s Origin: From King/Non Stop to Mighty Bear Games31:58 – Telegram Takeoff: Go Gaming’s 5.5M users and 100M+ events32:36 – Crypto & Ads: Token incentives and Telegram’s ad network33:40 – Crypto Gaming Today: Why success lives on Telegram35:15 – Viral Mechanics: Referrals, leaderboards, NFT “Gifts” ($35M+)36:40 – Early-Stage Market: Telegram gaming ecosystem ~2010 mobile level38:02 – Singapore Startup: Betting on Asia trends (MPL influence)42:49 – Battle Stories: 150 VC rejections, Rocket Internet investor, persistenceSUBSCRIBE TO GAMEMAKERS:- Newsletter: https://gamemakers.com/😃 —CONNECT WITH JK! — • INSTAGRAM → @jokim1• TWITTER → @jokim1• LINKEDIN → https://www.linkedin.com/in/jokim/

Alex Seropian (Bungie co-founder) shares his experience developing for Epic's UEFN platform in this exclusive interview. Discover insights on platform capabilities, economics, audience demographics, and future predictions for Fortnite's creator ecosystem.TIMESTAMPS:0:00 - Introduction1:00 - Changes in UEFN since 20235:30 - Working with brands on UEFN10:00 - Economic challenges for developers14:00 - State of UEFN monetization19:00 - Discovery and audience building23:00 - Successful game types on UEFN26:30 - Development process differences32:00 - UEFN player demographics and personas38:00 - Development surprises and challenges43:00 - Future predictions for UEFN51:00 - Advice for developers considering UEFN56:00 - Final thoughts and podcast mentionSUBSCRIBE TO GAMEMAKERS:- Newsletter: https://gamemakers.substack.com/😃 —CONNECT WITH JK! — • INSTAGRAM → @jokim1• TWITTER → @jokim1• LINKEDIN → https://www.linkedin.com/in/jokim/

(0:00) Introduction (1:00) Overview of AppLovin vs Unity market situation since 2022(2:10) Discussion of current mobile UA market conditions(6:30) Introduction to AppLovin vs Unity topic(9:00) How AppLovin gained advantage through Max mediation platform(11:10) The data advantage of first-party data in AppLovin's ecosystem(13:20) The lock-in effect of AppLovin's mediation and UA offerings(17:30) The snowball effect of AppLovin's market dominance(19:40) How AppLovin captured MoPub market share(22:20) Unity's execution issues after Iron Source merger(25:00) Cultural conflicts within Unity and algorithm problems(29:00) Discussion of Unity's "Vector" AI initiative(32:40) Unity's disappearing account managers and weak sales culture(35:20) AppLovin's focus on high-value customers and resource allocation(38:20) Increasing margin for AppLovin as market share grows(40:40) Unity's potential comeback strategy with Vector(45:10) The challenge for any network to compete with AppLovin(48:40) The "must use" nature of AppLovin for ad-monetized games(52:00) The risks of having 70-80% of UA budget on AppLovin(54:30) Potential industry alternatives to AppLovin(57:00) Discussion of emerging competitors like Moloco and Integral(1:01:30) The possible path forward for Unity to compete(1:05:40) Predictions for the future of mobile UA in two years(1:10:00) Speculation about AppLovin's TikTok acquisition bid(1:14:20) Wrap-up and conclusionSUBSCRIBE TO GAMEMAKERS:- Newsletter: https://gamemakers.substack.com/😃 —CONNECT WITH JK! — • INSTAGRAM → @jokim1• TWITTER → @jokim1• LINKEDIN → https://www.linkedin.com/in/jokim/

Dive into the future of AI in game development with this insightful panel from GDC featuring Aaron Farr (CTO at Jam and Tea Studios) and Liam Dean (Principal Analyst, Games at Omdia). They explore AI-native games, emergent gameplay, development acceleration, and how AI is transforming both game creation and player experiences. Essential viewing for game developers, executives, and anyone interested in how AI will reshape the gaming landscape.Timestamps0:00 - Introduction and panel overview1:50 - How revolutionary will AI be for gaming?3:30 - Current limitations of AI in game development5:10 - The concept of "AI native games" explained8:00 - Retail Mage: A real example of an AI native game11:10 - Emergent gameplay with AI - The painting IOU story14:20 - AI games vs. multiplayer games comparison17:40 - The controversy around AI in the games industry18:50 - Ethics of AI in game development22:20 - Who wins and loses with AI in game development?24:40 - The "organizational meta" and how AI will reshape studio structure27:40 - AI's impact on product development velocity30:20 - How traditional game studios will adapt (or fail)34:00 - Behind the scenes of an AI-native studio36:10 - How AI dramatically reduces development time (8 weeks vs 4 years)38:10 - The AI Dungeon Master example43:30 - Practical AI applications available right now47:10 - Q&A: Examples of AI-native games in the market49:30 - Q&A: Impact on staffing and team sizes52:40 - The future of game development organizationsSUBSCRIBE TO GAMEMAKERS:- Newsletter: https://gamemakers.substack.com/😃 —CONNECT WITH ME! — • MY INSTAGRAM → @jokim1• TWITTER → @jokim1• LINKEDIN → https://www.linkedin.com/in/jokim/

Join us for an in-depth discussion on the Game Developers Conference 2025 with industry veterans as they share their perspectives and what was learned during GDC on the current state of the gaming industry. This candid conversation explores attendance trends, market challenges, investment landscapes, and what's next for game developers in a changing economy.Our panel discusses:⭐ GDC attendance trends and the shift to more exclusive, executive-focused events⭐ The "age of efficiency" and austerity measures affecting game studios⭐ Investment challenges and the evolving VC landscape for gaming⭐ Platform dynamics between developers and companies like Apple and Google⭐ AI's current and potential impact on game development⭐ Unity's latest developments and challenges⭐ The changing nature of GDC itself and its future prospectsFeatured Speakers:🗣️ Eric Kress, Principal at Gosser Consulting and host on the Deconstructive of Fun podcast🗣️ Brett Novak, CEO from Liquid and Grit🗣️ Solomon Lichter Ruiz, Senior Director Global Gaming at CleverTap🗣️ Joseph Kim (Host), GameMakers & CEO of Lila GamesRecorded March 2025 following the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco.#GameDevelopment #GDC2025 #GamingIndustry #GameDev #GameDesign #AI #MobileGames #GameInvestingTimestamps:00:00 - Intro and GDC attendance discussion04:00 - San Francisco city impressions06:30 - Event format changes and networking dynamics12:40 - Industry challenges and the "age of efficiency"20:00 - Platform dynamics (Apple/Google)30:00 - AI in gaming discussion36:00 - Event highlights and notable gatherings42:00 - Bing Gordon's insights47:00 - Final thoughts on GDC's future

This week I share thoughts from my years in game development about why teams often struggle with addressing their most critical problems. I discussed this with Ben Carcich in a pod I published a couple of weeks back: the "Building Better Games" episode.Some questions came up and I wanted to try something new, a bit of a rant on this topic.Is it lame? Is it useful? Let's try it and find out.

Dive deep into Battle Pass design with industry experts discussing Overwatch 2's approach, player psychology, and monetization strategies. Learn essential insights about progression systems, player choice, and value perception from game developer Ted Park and former Riot meta-systems expert Chris Cobb, hosted by Joseph Kim of Lila Games.Content Overview0:00 - Introduction and Battle Pass Overview3:35 - Hero-Based Games: The Main Character Problem7:20 - Battle Pass Progression and Grindiness13:15 - Value Perception and Premium Options18:40 - Customization vs Production Realities24:10 - Battle Pass Currency and Mythic Rewards System31:25 - Loot Boxes: Their Surprise Return38:15 - IP Integration and Themed Content43:50 - Ideal Battle Pass Design: Expert Recommendations52:15 - Conclusion and Key TakeawaysSUBSCRIBE TO GAMEMAKERS:- Newsletter: https://gamemakers.substack.com/

Ben Carcich, a game industry consultant with a military background and experience at Riot Games, shares valuable insights on game production. He discusses why successful games often come from challenging development processes and the dangers of premature scaling. Ben emphasizes the importance of balancing creative vision with technical execution and addresses the critical role of leadership in navigating uncertainties. He also highlights lessons from military training that can enhance adaptability and decision-making in the high-pressure world of game development.

Join gaming industry veterans as they break down the unprecedented transformation of mobile 4X games. Featuring insights from Joseph Kim (Lila Games), Justin Yau (Wharton MBA), UA specialist Matej Lancaric (2.5 Gamers) and game design specialist Jakub Remiar (2.5 Gamers) on how Chinese gaming companies are achieving $8M+ daily revenue through innovative UA strategies and product design.Key Topics:🔑 Evolution of 4X game design🔑 UA innovation and AI creative production🔑 Server economics and monetization strategies🔑 Future industry predictions⏰ Timestamps:0:00 Introduction and Speaker Backgrounds3:09 First Fun/River Game Partnership History8:05 Modern 4X Game Economics15:20 UA Strategy Evolution23:45 Creative Production at Scale31:30 AI's Role in UA Innovation38:15 Product Design Integration45:40 Server Management Strategies52:30 Future of 4X Gaming57:15 Non-Consensus Predictions🔍 Featured Experts:Joseph Kim (CEO, Lila Games)Justin Yau (Industry Analyst, Wharton)Matej Lancaric (UA Specialist)Jakub Remiar (Game Design Consultant)💡 Additional Resources:Previous Matej +: JK Collaboration Podcast on 4X UA Strategy: https://youtu.be/IvRjmGvWhdQDissecting Best-Selling Mobile 4X Game Metrics by Ning Wang: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/dissecting-best-selling-mobile-4x-game-metrics-ning-wang-vk1pc/Join the GameMakers newsletter for more industry insights and discussions: Newsletter: www.gamemakers.com#MobileGaming #GameDev #UserAcquisition #4XGames #GameStrategy