Naavik Gaming Podcast

In this week’s Roundtable, Huuuge Games' Q1 results provide us with some insight into the ongoing impact of user acquisition changes on the mobile gaming business. We also tackle the driving force behind the growth surge in the MENA region’s gaming and esports sectors and Supercell's uncharacteristic release strategy with its betas for Flood Rush and Squad Busters. Lastly, we wrap up by discussing the rationale behind EA's decision to integrate Nike NFTs into its sports games, as well as the significance of the SEC lawsuits against Binance and Coinbase and what they might mean for web3 gaming. Join us for all the latest games business news with David Kaye, Tammy Levy, Abhimanyu Kumar, and host Devin Becker.This episode is brought to you by Coda Payments. Coda helps developers collect some of their revenues outside the app stores, keeping more of the income they generate for themselves. To learn more about how Coda Payments' solution can help take your game to the next level, head to codapayments.com.If you like the episode, please help others find us by leaving a 5-star rating or review! And if you have any comments, requests, or feedback, shoot us a note at podcast@naavik.co.Also, a big thanks to data.ai for supporting all of Naavik's mobile data needs. If your team requires a market and competitive intelligence tool for tracking the mobile games industry, monitoring KPIs, and spotting opportunities across games, check out data.ai's robust platform. Watch the episode: YouTube ChannelFor more episodes and details: Podcast WebsiteFree newsletter: Naavik DigestFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | WebsiteSound design by Gavin Mc Cabe.

Azra Games has raised more than just about any other web3 game developer — with a $25 million seed round led by a16z — to build its ambitious vision for what the company is calling a “web3-sensitive” RPG. Founder & CEO Mark Otero joins your host, Niko Vuori, to talk about why he sees RPGs as a good fit for web3, how Azra is incorporating NFTs and web3 elements into their game design, and how they see the current web3 gaming environment evolving.To learn more, make sure to visit https://azragames.com/. You can also find Mark Otero on LinkedIn.If you like the episode, please help others find us by leaving a 5-star rating or review! And if you have any comments, requests, or feedback shoot us a note at podcast@naavik.co. Watch the episode: YouTube ChannelFor more episodes and details: Podcast WebsiteFree newsletter: Naavik DigestFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | WebsiteSound design by Gavin Mc Cabe.

The esports world is starting to teeter, the NYT wrote last month. Today, we get perspective on whether that’s true or not. Evil Geniuses is an esports organization with over 14 million followers across the globe, and it harkens back to the 90s when it was known as Quake Clan in Canada. We sit down with Nicole LaPointe Jameson, a CEO with an insatiable consumer passion for gaming but also a background in distressed assets — or in normal person speak, companies that desperately need optimization and cost tuning to turn them profitable. Is esports a financial endeavor that can be righted from the realm of negative operating income, and where will EG’s edge come from? Furthermore, what can esports do to ameliorate some of the toxicity in games, and how has EG been playing a role in fostering a healthier community for players of all backgrounds? To learn more, make sure to visit https://evilgeniuses.gg/. You can also find Nicole LaPointe Jameson on LinkedIn.If you like the episode, please help others find us by leaving a 5-star rating or review! And if you have any comments, requests, or feedback shoot us a note at podcast@naavik.co. Watch the episode: YouTube ChannelFor more episodes and details: Podcast WebsiteFree newsletter: Naavik DigestFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | WebsiteSound design by Gavin Mc Cabe.

Sony showcased new games, PSVR 2, and an emphasis on live service games, including Bungie bringing back its original franchise Marathon. We dig into Capcom’s understated recent successes, like the new Street Fighter 6 release. Does Last of Us delaying its multiplayer update mean it might end up scrapped? We take a look into what CD Projekt is up to and what the future of Cyberpunk and The Witcher could be. NVIDIA provided a brief glimpse at AI dialogue in games, but how realistic was it? Join us for all the latest games business news with Anil Das-Gupta, Aaron Bush, Jonathan Anastas, and host Devin Becker.This episode is brought to you by Coda Payments. Coda helps developers collect some of their revenues outside the app stores, keeping more of the income they generate for themselves. To learn more about how Coda Payments' solution can help take your game to the next level, head to codapayments.com.Also, a big thanks to data.ai for supporting all of Naavik's mobile data needs. If your team requires a market and competitive intelligence tool for tracking the mobile games industry, monitoring KPIs, and spotting opportunities across games, check out data.ai's robust platform.If you like the episode, please help others find us by leaving a 5-star rating or review! And if you have any comments, requests, or feedback, shoot us a note at podcast@naavik.co. Watch the episode: YouTube ChannelFor more episodes and details: Podcast WebsiteFree newsletter: Naavik DigestFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | WebsiteSound design by Gavin Mc Cabe.

New regions approve Microsoft’s bid for Activision Blizzard, but the saga isn’t over yet. Another former DICE member starts a studio. How did Axie Infinity finally manage to make it onto iOS, and will it succeed? Embracer loses a huge partnership deal. How will Mortal Kombat 1 fare against the upcoming slate of fighting games? What do the numbers behind Take-Two and Ubisoft’s earnings say about their future plans? Join us for all the latest games business news with Matt Dion, Aaron Bush, Felipe Mata, and host Devin Becker.Also, a big thanks to data.ai for supporting all of Naavik's mobile data needs. If your team requires a market and competitive intelligence tool for tracking the mobile games industry, monitoring KPIs, and spotting opportunities across games, check out data.ai's robust platform.If you like the episode, please help others find us by leaving a 5-star rating or review! And if you have any comments, requests, or feedback, shoot us a note at podcast@naavik.co. Watch the episode: YouTube ChannelFor more episodes and details: Podcast WebsiteFree newsletter: Naavik DigestFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | WebsiteSound design by Gavin Mc Cabe.

In this episode, we dive into the frustrations of bringing web3 experiences to mobile platforms and explore a unique solution that Solana has taken: building their own phone, the Saga phone.Your host, Niko Vuori, speaks with Laura Shen, the marketing lead for Solana Mobile, to learn more about the Saga phone and its significance. We explore the challenges of mobile-unfriendly web3, including app store restrictions, and the importance of making web3 accessible on mobile devices to drive mass market adoption.Laura shares details on the Saga phone's features, such as the Solana Mobile Stack (SMS) that includes the Seed Vault (a secure crypto hardware wallet) and the dApp Store (a web3 app store). We discuss the categories of dApps launched for the Saga and the $10 million fund dedicated to supporting third-party developers.Gaming's role in the Saga phone and its potential impact on mass adoption is also discussed. We touch upon the pricing of the Saga phone and its early adopter target audience of crypto-native users, as well as potential plans for cross-chain compatibility.Saga Phone: https://solanamobile.com/hardware If you would like us to discuss any other blockchain gaming-related topics, do reach out at metacast@naavik.co. We’d love to hear your general thoughts and feedback too! And as always, if you like the episode, you can help others find us by leaving a rating or review!TLDListen?: Episode summaryWatch the episode: YouTube video Join the discussion: Naavik DiscordRead more: Naavik DigestWatch more: YouTube channelGo premium: Naavik ProFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | Facebook | WebsiteSound design by Gavin Mc Gabe.

How did Zelda outsell Harry Potter? Why is Amazon trying another Lord of the Rings MMO? Google shows off new AI tech, and cross-platform gaming shows some interesting trends. Join us for all the latest games business news with Maria Gillies, Dave Elton, Sebastian Park, and host Devin Becker.Also, a big thanks to data.ai for supporting all of Naavik's mobile data needs. If your team requires a market and competitive intelligence tool for tracking the mobile games industry, monitoring KPIs, and spotting opportunities across games, check out data.ai's robust platform.If you would like us to discuss any other gaming-related topics, reach out at podcast@naavik.co. We’d love to hear your feedback! And as always, if you like the episode, you can help others find us by leaving a rating or review!TLDListen?: Episode summaryWatch the episode: YouTube video Join the discussion: Naavik DiscordRead more: Naavik DigestWatch more: YouTube channelGo premium: Naavik ProFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | Facebook | WebsiteSound design by Gavin Mc Cabe.

Today’s episode is a bit different. One of our interviews fell through, but instead of skipping an episode Naavik’s co-founder and podcast host, Aaron Bush, decided to pick up the mic and roll solo. Aaron discusses five reflections since founding Naavik – about leadership, learning from other industries, what makes the games industry special, and where we are going next. We also want to learn about what your major reflections have been since joining the games industry, no matter what your tenure is. Send us a note to podcast@naavik.co and we’d be thrilled to showcase your insights in a future episode.As always, if you like the episode, you can help others find us by leaving a rating or review! TLDListen?: Episode summaryWatch the episode: YouTube channelFree newsletter: Naavik DigestFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | WebsiteSound design by Gavin Mc Cabe.

What is Sega's strategy for Rovio? What do the earnings reports for Playtika and Stillfront say about their acquisition methods and growth? Can TreesPlease build a profitable game around planting real life trees? How can Microsoft compete with Sony's recent console success? Join us for all the latest games business news with Abhimanyu Kumar, Tammy Levy, David Kaye, and host Devin Becker.Also, a big thanks to data.ai for supporting all of Naavik's mobile data needs. If your team requires a market and competitive intelligence tool for tracking the mobile games industry, monitoring KPIs, and spotting opportunities across games, check out data.ai's robust platform.If you would like us to discuss any other gaming-related topics, reach out at podcast@naavik.co. We’d love to hear your feedback! And as always, if you like the episode, you can help others find us by leaving a rating or review!Go premium with Naavik Pro to access an ever-growing library of deep exclusive research including free-to-play and blockchain game deconstructions, and market analysis. Use the promo code METACAST to save 10%.TLDListen?: Episode summaryWatch the episode: YouTube video Join the discussion: Naavik DiscordRead more: Naavik DigestWatch more: YouTube channelGo premium: Naavik ProFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | Facebook | WebsiteSound design by Gavin Mc Cabe.

 Q: Where does an 800-pound ape get its game on? A: Anywhere it wants to. Having launched some of the biggest NFT collections (including of course Bored Ape Yacht Club), acquired some of the biggest NFT collections (including CryptoPunks and Meebits), raised $450 million from a16z and broken all kinds of web3 records since inception, Yuga is ready to get its game on. It now wants to show the world what web3 gaming can really be, having hired some of the biggest names from Epic Games, Activision Blizzard and Scopely, among others, to senior leadership roles. Your host, Niko Vuori, speaks with Spencer Tucker, Chief Gaming Officer at Yuga Labs, about Yuga’s gaming ambitions, what “the metaverse” means to Yuga, how passionate the Bored Ape community really is and how to crowdsource growth through networking externalities with zero UA spend. Oh, and Jimmy the Monkey with the key stuck up you-know-where in Dookey Dash makes a reappearance as well. Yuga Labs: https://yuga.com Naavik Dookey Dash deconstruct: https://naavik.co/podcast/deconstructing-bayc-dookey-dash If you would like us to discuss any other blockchain gaming-related topics, do reach out at metacast@naavik.co. We’d love to hear your general thoughts and feedback too! And as always, if you like the episode, you can help others find us by leaving a rating or review!TLDListen?: Episode summaryWatch the episode: YouTube video Join the discussion: Naavik DiscordRead more: Naavik DigestWatch more: YouTube channelGo premium: Naavik ProFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | Facebook | WebsiteSound design by Gavin Mc Gabe.