GameMakers

A deep dive into the most pressing topics in gaming with industry veterans discussing recent developments, challenges, and future outlooks. ⏱️ Timeline/Chapters: 00:00 - Introduction 01:05 - Ubisoft's Current State & Challenges 14:35 - Unity's Turnaround Story 31:20 - AppLovin Deep Dive 39:15 - China Gaming Market Update 49:40 - Microsoft-Activision Deal Impact 56:10 - Roblox & Hindenburg Report Discussion 📝 Description: Join us for an in-depth discussion of the hottest topics in gaming! Industry veterans break down recent developments at major gaming companies and what they mean for the future of the industry. We analyze Ubisoft's ongoing struggles, Unity's attempted turnaround under new leadership, AppLovin's rising dominance in mobile advertising, China's gaming market dynamics, and the implications of Microsoft's Activision acquisition. Plus, a quick take on the recent Roblox controversy. Topics include: • Why Western AAA game development is struggling • Unity's technical improvements and business challenges • AppLovin's market dominance in mobile advertising • China gaming market outlook and geopolitical risks • Microsoft's Game Pass strategy and the future of gaming subscriptions • Latest industry M&A activity and valuations Whether you're a game developer, industry executive, or just interested in the business of gaming, this discussion provides valuable insights into where the industry is headed in 2024 and beyond.

Warren Woodward, co-founder and CMO at Upptic, provides real, no-nonsense advice about the current state of mobile performance marketing. What are the current problems and issues in the market and how can studios grow their player base through mobile user acquisition today? OUTLINE: 0:00 Intro 0:47 Why Warren is great to talk to about UA 2:00 Current state of mobile marketing & UA: What’s working and not working 12:50 What IDFA really did to mobile marketing 15:30 What happens if fingerprinting goes away 21:50 The problem with imprecise data 25:10 What are the channels and tactics that are currently successful Applovin vs. Unity 31:37 Modern-day performance marketing team structure and staffing 40:19 The importance of unifying teams and data for success - avoiding the “blame game” 45:30 Advantages of UA at massive scale 52:37 Is the future of UA all about “brutal efficiency”? 👇 EPISODE LINKS: - Warren Woodward: https://www.linkedin.com/in/warrendwoodward/ - Upptic: https://upptic.com/ SUBSCRIBE TO GAMEMAKERS: - Spotify Podcast: https://spoti.fi/3Cpyq7i - Newsletter: https://gamemakers.substack.com/ 😃 —CONNECT WITH ME! — • MY INSTAGRAM → @jokim1 • TWITTER → @jokim1 • LINKEDIN → https://www.linkedin.com/in/jokim/

Explore the fierce rivalry between Tencent and NetEase, two giants of the gaming industry. Discover Tencent's expansive business strategies and the challenges of penetrating Western markets. Hear personal anecdotes about Tencent's collaborations and internal efficiencies. Get insights into NetEase’s growth opportunities and the competitive dynamics shaping their future. Delve into the regulatory hurdles both companies face within China, revealing the complexities of their global expansion efforts.

Anton Bernstein, CEO of Pocket Worlds, discusses the intricacies of cosmetics monetization in free-to-play games. Learn about player motivations, game design considerations, primary vs. secondary markets, and cultural differences in monetization strategies. Gain valuable insights on key metrics and best practices for successful cosmetic-based revenue in games like Fortnite, CS:GO, and High Rise. OUTLINE: 0:00 Intro 0:45 Most important topics around cosmetics monetization 2:11 Anton Bernstein background and Pocket World business 3:17 The kinds of games that sell cosmetics well: 6:20 How does Fair to play vs. free to play impact cosmetics sales 11:48 How necessary is high engagement to cosmetics sale? 14:16 How does 1st vs. 3rd person perspective impact kinds of cosmetics sales? 16:38 How does motivation around vanity vs. speculation impact cosmetics sales? 21:00 The best games to study for F2P cosmetics monetization 23:40 ARPU and spend depth for cosmetics sales 27:50 Form of cosmetics sales that perform best: Battle pass, loot box, etc. 31:50 The importance of big IP and scale to sell cosmetics well 35:00 Player motivations behind buying cosmetics 38:55 Cosmetics monetization East vs. West 45:00 Primary vs. secondary markets - developer business model 52:47 KPIs and metrics to watch for cosmetics sales 55:50 Dangers of selling cosmetics 57:32 Final message and contacting Anton 👇 EPISODE LINKS: - Anton Bernstein, CEO of Pocket Worlds: https://www.linkedin.com/in/antonber/ - Pocket Worlds: https://www.pocketworlds.com/ SUBSCRIBE TO GAMEMAKERS: - Spotify Podcast: https://spoti.fi/3Cpyq7i - Newsletter: https://gamemakers.com/

Gaming expert Joseph Kim joins a roundtable discussion on the Brawl Stars Godzilla event's impact, revenue increase, and downloads surge. They compare Brawl Stars with Wild Rift, discuss game design, female player base, and insights on kids' preferences. The event mechanics, player reactions, pay-to-win elements, and potential return are analyzed. They also touch on game modes, balance, and participants' experiences with the event.

Exploring the rise and fall of Embracer Group, the implications for future game M&A, comparison with Zynga's strategy, impact of easy money on M&A, split-off companies' outlook, importance of post-acquisition integration, advantages of scale for gaming studios, potential consideration of Roblox, and outlook for M&A in 2024 and beyond.

CEO of Convai, Purnendu Mukherjee, discusses the future of AI NPCs, focusing on technical challenges, application in gaming, competitive advantages, integration steps for developers, economic strategies, and potential impacts on global audiences. Explore insights into AI NPC latency, interactive storytelling, and the entrepreneurial journey of creating human-like AI characters for immersive user experiences.

Comparison between Embracer and Ubisoft in terms of business performance, valuation, and future outlook. Analysis of Embracer's financials, debt situation, tabletop gaming business, and potential growth. Discussion on Ubisoft's financials, upcoming titles, revenue per employee issues, and mobile gaming efforts. Explore concerns and investment potential for both companies, highlighting their strategies and challenges in the gaming industry.

The podcast discusses key themes and trends from GDC 2024, including decreased VC investments and a focus on live ops development. They cover insights on marketing importance, AI, and industry rationalization. Talks from Supercell, King, and Epic are highlighted, along with key takeaways and GDC rumors.

Ludovic Bodin is an entrepreneur, investor, and now author of the book Atomic Scaling. Ludovic has learned lessons from the titans of the games industry and created a framework he believes can be applied to any other industry. Learn more about the lessons from Supercell, Valve, Zynga, and others and how they can apply to your games studio or company outside of games. OUTLINE: 0:00 Intro 1:20 How Ilkka Paananen, CEO of Supercell inspired Atomic Scaling - Keeping teams small for as long as possible 7:08 How Gabe Newell, CEO of Valve, further inspired Atomic Scaling - Lessons from the games industry are widely applicable 9:35 Ludovic’s great book endorsements, learning from game industry experts, and the sharing culture in gaming 12:21 Motivation to write Atomic Scaling 14:10 3Ps 3Rs framework explanation- People, Prediction, Playbook and Revenue, Reach, Retention 14:52 People principle 22:00 Prediction principle: prediction vs. prophecy - hypothesis, measurement, then change 34:22 Playbook principle - getting the team on the same page 42:13 Revenue, Reach, and Retention 44:05 LiveOps and the LOVE framework - Live product development, Organized event calendar, Very special sales & offers, Engagement and re-engagement 47:10 What should readers take away?