Deconstructor of Fun
By Deconstructor of Fun
Hosts:
Michail Katkoff @mkatkoff www.linkedin.com/in/michailkatkoff/
Eric Kress @ekress www.linkedin.com/in/erickress/
Laura Taranto @laurataranto www.linkedin.com/in/laurataranto/
Phillip Black @econosopher www.linkedin.com/in/phillip-black-economist/
Jen Donahoe @Jen_Donahoe www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferd
Deconstructor of FunMar 15, 2024
The Intricacies of Venture Capital Investments with Joakim Achren, F4 Fund
Get on board with one of the best newsletters in the business: https://www.deconstructoroffun.com/subscribe Joakim is a seasoned entrepreneur (Next Games) turned venture capitalist (F4 Fund). In this conversation Joakim provides valuable insights into the intricacies of venture capital investments, emphasizing the importance of innovation, adaptability, and strategic planning for startups aiming to thrive in the competitive gaming industry. F4 Fund https://f4.fund Joakim’s book, Long Term Game: How To Build A Video Games Company https://www.amazon.com/Long-Term-Game-Build-Company/dp/952942874X
TWIG #273 Istanbul Recap, Embracer sells Saber, Epic's on iOS in EU
The cast recaps the 3rd annual Think Games Istanbul Summit hosted by Google and Deconstructor of Fun. See the link below to register and watch the recorded sessions. The team tackles new news from Epic being allowed on iOS in the EU to Discord's new game SDK to the state of startups in Finland. Also, the cast appears on a data.ai state of mobile webinar. Check it out here https://go.data.ai/state-of-mobile-gaming-webinar-2024/
Apply to join the Slack Community and get the DoF weekly newsletter.
https://www.deconstructoroffun.com/slack
Event links
Think Games Istanbul:
https://adsonair.withgoogle.com/events/think-games-istanbul-2024
Jen's GDC roundtable
https://schedule.gdconf.com/session/lgbtq-executive-and-entrepreneurship-and-allies-roundtable/903078
Hosts:
Michail Katkoff @mkatkoff www.linkedin.com/in/michailkatkoff/
Eric Kress @ekress www.linkedin.com/in/erickress/
Laura Taranto @laurataranto www.linkedin.com/in/laurataranto/
Phillip Black @econosopher www.linkedin.com/in/phillip-black-economist/
Jen Donahoe @Jen_Donahoe https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferdonahoe/
Industry Turmoil and Opportunities Ahead with Goldman Sachs and Lightspeed Venture Partners
DoF Newsletter: https://www.deconstructoroffun.com/subscribe Hemal Thaker https://www.linkedin.com/in/thakerhemal/ Moritz Baier-Lentz https://www.linkedin.com/in/moritzbaierlentz/ In this eye-opening podcast, industry insiders Hemal and Moritz provide candid insights into the current state of the gaming industry, discussing market challenges, the impact of layoffs, the dynamics of venture capital and publisher models, the potential of Web 3, the role of AI, and predictions for the future. From navigating downturns to seizing emerging opportunities, this conversation offers valuable advice for founders and executives alike, shedding light on the realities of the gaming landscape while inspiring optimism for the road ahead.
Crucial Remote Work Strategies with Andy Duthie, Executive Producer at My.Games
Join our newsletter: www.deconstructoroffun.com/subscribe
Andy Duthie, Executive Producer of a soaring title HAWKED, joins the podcast to peel back the curtain on remote team management and offer his playbook on how to make remote work work and projects of all sizes and scopes.
Andy Duthie: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andyduthie/
TWIG #272 Is Apple Arcade Rotten? Unity's new transparency
Jen, Kress, Laura, and Phil continue with the food puns analogies and decide if Apple Arcade is rotting after a mobilegamer.biz article. Also, the cast praises Unity for its newfound transparency, hits some of the Nintendo Direct Highlights (which aren't that high), keeps taking layoffs, and uncovers Playtika’s new strategy.
Apply to join the Slack Community.
https://www.deconstructoroffun.com/slack
Event links to apply or register:
Think Games Istanbul:
https://adsonair.withgoogle.com/events/think-games-istanbul-2024
GDC Beta Hat & DoF Pre-Game Party March 17 - https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSceighlzx-X0Khv2NMmJom29dtWhAsEpros-1xhBCNQfIqqAA/viewform
Xsolla, DoF, Mattel Party March 19: https://events.xsolla.com/gamenightgdc2024
DoF, AppsFlyer, Data.ai Brunch March 19: http://dataai-gdc-brunch.splashthat.com/DoF
Hosts:
Michail Katkoff @mkatkoff www.linkedin.com/in/michailkatkoff/
Eric Kress @ekress www.linkedin.com/in/erickress/
Laura Taranto @laurataranto www.linkedin.com/in/laurataranto/
Phillip Black @econosopher www.linkedin.com/in/phillip-black-economist/
Jen Donahoe @Jen_Donahoe www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferd
Insights from Building (& Exiting) Three Companies with Paul Gouge, Founder of Fourth Star
Join us in Istanbul:
https://adsonair.withgoogle.com/events/think-games-istanbul-2024
Paul Gouge is one of the best founders in the industry. He has built three companies over the past two decades. These companies have not only made fantastic games but have also been acquired four times, with Playdemic, being bought first by Warner Brothers and then by EA under Paul’s leadership.
In this episode, Paul talks about his fourth company, Fourth Star. And how that is the culmination of all his learnings to date.
TWIG #271 F*wad ads, Xbox nothing news, Eggcellent puns for Eggy Party
The TWIG crew breaks down the Xbox news. The egg puns fly as the crew debates who wins the Eggy Party, Stumble Guys, Fall Guys battle. We feature our first-ever TWIG junior segment with a friend of the pod Henry Lowenfels and his sons Mickey (8) and Rocky (10), who don't mind ads in Roblox but call people who make ads in console games F*wads. Any cursing was 100% supervised and approved by parental consent. Don't cancel the hosts, please!
Event links to apply or register:
Think Games Istanbul:
https://adsonair.withgoogle.com/events/think-games-istanbul-2024
GDC Beta Hat & DoF Pre-Game Party March 17 - https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSceighlzx-X0Khv2NMmJom29dtWhAsEpros-1xhBCNQfIqqAA/viewform
Xsolla, DoF, Mattel Party March 19: https://events.xsolla.com/gamenightgdc2024
DoF, AppsFlyer, Data.ai Brunch March 19: http://dataai-gdc-brunch.splashthat.com/DoF
Hosts:
Michail Katkoff @mkatkoff www.linkedin.com/in/michailkatkoff/
Eric Kress @ekress www.linkedin.com/in/erickress/
Laura Taranto @laurataranto www.linkedin.com/in/laurataranto/
Phillip Black @econosopher www.linkedin.com/in/phillip-black-economist/
Jen Donahoe @Jen_Donahoe www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferd
How GGP & GDC support under-estimated groups and throws the best GDC parties
Join Jen Donahoe TWIG co-host and Strategic Marketing Consultant at Beta Hat and JadeInferno and Gordon Bellemy, CEO of GGP (Gay Gaming Professionals), to hear how GGP supports underrepresented or, better phrased, under-estimated groups in the game industry.
GDC2024 features a number of events that everyone can benefit from. Come join us!
Find all the event information at GGPs LinkedIn page events section
March 20, 3:30pm GDC - LGBTQ+ Executive and Entrepreneurship and Allies Roundtable moderated by Jen Donahoe
March 20, 7:30 GGP Networking Event at DNA lounge right next foor to the Zero Proof board game night at Buzzworks
March 21, 5:40 PM GDC Breaking Boundaries Roundtable
The Inner Works of a Game Publisher with John Wright, Kwalee’s Publishing Head
Join us in Istanbul:
https://adsonair.withgoogle.com/events/think-games-istanbul-2024
John Wright, VP of publishing at Kwalee joins the podcast to discuss publishing in 2024. The thing is, publishing on mobile is experiencing a bit of a renaissance. This is due to all the ever-restricting privacy changes and the decrease in available capital smaller companies were using to scale their games.
TWIG #270 The BIG Supercell Talk
event links: GDC Marketing Brunch /GDC Tech Brunch
When Supercell CEO Ilkka Paananen drops his annual blog post, the gaming folks around the world rush to read it. The TWIG crew is no different. Though we might be a tad mod critical…
In this episode, we also discuss Disney’s investment in Epic. What are the implications of this deal? Why does Epic need this money? And what is Epic's future?
This episode is brought to you by Eric Kress, Jen Donahoe, Philip Black and Mishka Katkoff.
Product Deep Dive: Whiteout Survival's $400M Loot
Join Jen Donahoe and Laura Taranto in a cozy yet banter-filled deconstruction of Century Games' Whiteout Survival. You'll feel like you’re stepping into a meeting with product and marketing, figuring out how to make and market the next great game as we deconstruct winners. Have a game you want to see on Product Deep Dives? Contact us at info@deconstructoroffun.com Intro 00:00 - 05:08 Century Games Key Takeaways 05:08 - 06:57 Key Takeaway 1 06:57 Key Takeaway 2 09:19 Key Takeaway 3 11:08 Key Takeaway 4 14:38 Key Takeaway 5 17:12 Data.ai Review 21:49 Century Games Company Review 25:50 Whiteout Survival Predecessors 27:10 Whiteout Survival Decon 33:46 Summary 58:00
TWIG #269 The Tremendous Yet Troubled State of Gaming
Think Games Istanbul talks announced:
https://adsonair.withgoogle.com/events/think-games-istanbul-2024
No matter how you look at it, we’re witnessing the inevitable demise of Xbox. All signs (read: leaks) are pointing to the fact that Microsoft’s foray into gaming is coming to an end. The crew analyses why this happened and what it will mean for both the ecosystem and the people involved.
In this episode, we also deconstruct Matthew Ball’s essay “The Tremendous Yet Troubled State of Gaming”. The piece was too long even for ChatGPT, so you can thank us later for going through the insightful yet painful read. Matt, we love you. Please write more often and shorter articles…
The doom and gloom of this episode is brought to you by Eric Kress, Jen Donahoe, Philip Black and Mishka Katkoff.
The Four Things a Founder Should Never Do, by Anton Krasnyy, former founder and CEO of Murka
Join us in Istanbul!
www.deconstructoroffun.com/istanbul
“Never trust experts nor believe in business friendships. Never allow others to change your vision. And never underpay yourself.” Those are the 4 critical nevers that Anton Krasnyy once wrote on LinkedIn.
Anton is a former founder, CEO, and Chairman of Murka, a social casino company originally from Ukraine acquired by Blackstone in 2019.
Despite the strong words, I’ve always found Anton to be very empathetic. That’s why I wanted him to come on the podcast and talk in detail about the four critical never and show his real personality, which may come off the wrong way in a written form.
TWIG #268 Apple is "Hot Garbage" and Blizzard has a brand new boss...
While it's not as crazy as the Unity Runtime fee fiasco, it's a close second as the cast reviews Apple's plans to address the EU's DMA rules. Kress eats it and admits that Zynga might have potential this year, with Match Factory showing promise. Blizzard picks a new president, and the cast weighs in on her resume, making recommendations and predictions for her future. Riot and Blizzard called cults, in a good way.
Think Istanbul Game Summit (March 7)
https://adsonair.withgoogle.com/events/think-games-istanbul-2024
PC and Console Gaming Predictions with Newzoo's Tom Wijman
Newzoo's Lead Analyst, Tom Wijman, returns on the podcast to discuss gaming market predictions for consoles and PCs.
You can access the full Newzoo report here:
https://newzoo.com/games-market-reports-forecasts
And check our previous episode here:
www.deconstructoroffun.com/blog/2023/11/2/console-gamings-triple-threat
TWIG #267 Apple vs. Epic / Palworld vs. Pokemon
Sign up to Istanbul Gaming Summit
By deciding not to hear the appeal of the Epic v. Apple case, the injection against Apple's anti-steering rules stands. This means that developers are now free to push US iOS players into web shops. But what doest that mean for the industry? And if this conversation doesn’t tickle your toes, the crew talks Palworld. A real Pokemon killer.
The doom and gloom of this episode is brought to you by Eric Kress, Jen Donahoe, Philip Black and Laura Taranto.
6 x Operative Changes That Kept SciPlay Growing Despite the Market Headwinds
Josh Wilson, CEO of Sciplay returns to the podcast to tell the story behind the company’s evolution over the last two years. SciPlay has grown every quarter despite the economic and privacy headwinds thanks to strategic initiatives discussed in this episode. We also talk about the accusations the company has made and why it has been itself acquired.
Istanbul Gaming Summit
https://rsvp.withgoogle.com/events/think-games-istanbul-i-google-x-deconstructor-of-fun
segments:
Last two years at SciPlay: (0:00)
Why SciPlay keeps growing: (26:20)
Why SciPlay was acquired: (40:50)
Outro: (51:50)
TWIG #266 The State of Mobile and Monopoly Go’s anti-Profitability Claims
Istanbul Gaming Summit pre-signup:
https://rsvp.withgoogle.com/events/think-games-istanbul-i-google-x-deconstructor-of-fun
The squad dips their spoons into the Monopoly Go drama by giving their take on the profitability of Scopely’s blockbuster. We discuss the real reason why NetEase and Activision have suddenly kissed and made up. Scratch our heads as to why Tencent is launching yet another mobile MOBA and dive deep into the state of mobile.
The doom and gloom of this episode is brought to you by Eric Kress, Jen Donahoe, Philip Black, and Michail Katkoff.
Elena Grigorian, CEO of MyGames - My First 100 Days as a CEO
stanbul Gaming Summit https://rsvp.withgoogle.com/events/think-games-istanbul-i-google-x-deconstructor-of-fun Elena Grigorian joins the podcast after recently taking over as the CEO of MyGames. In this podcast, we cover both business and personal topics starting with what a new CEO should accomplish in their first 100 days in the position and ending with the challenges of balancing work and life in leadership positions. segments: Intro: (0:00) The role of a CEO role: (5:25) Work-life Balance: (11:56) MyGames SWOT: (16:52) Leadership Team: (21:54) Intercompany Knowledge Sharing: (24:05) Portfolio Strategy: (28:53) Organization Structure: (33:21) Expansion: (41:59) Market Predictions: (47:52)
TWIG #265 Unity continues to lay off while Netflix drops $1,000M on games
2024 starts where 2023 ended - and that means layoffs. Unity slashes 1,800 jobs while Twitch fires every third person in the latest layoff rounds at these companies.
In this episode, we announce the Golden Twig "winners", discuss Clash Mini, and continue to scratch our heads about Netflix Games.
Thanks to the show's sponsors: Xsolla, AppsFlyer, Data.ai, and Heroic Labs!
Marketing Predictions 2024 with Eric Seufert
Eric Seufert is a one-of-a-kind marketing expert. He has headed marketing at Rovio, Wooga, and N3TWORK. He has built Mobile Dev Memo into the leading site for marketing professionals. He became a venture capitalist after founding Heracles Capital.
In this podcast, Eric Seufert returns back to the podcast to discuss predictions for mobile marketing. A must-listen for all of us!
sign-up to our PGC event: https://event.appsflyer.com/appsflyerandheroiclabs
TWIG #264 New China Regulations, Market Predictions and Sony Leaks
Happy New Year, and welcome to the first podcast of 2024! After checking in on the holiday activities, the cast digs into the big news hitting the Chinese game industy. Kress makes predictions about how companies around the world will react to the proposed China game regulations (limiting daily spend, removing loot boxes, etc).
Phil pulled out key insights from the Insomniac leak, and the cast discussed how Sony should approach live service across its console business.
The Survey: https://forms.gle/W1Cy2dRcvsaZhyiW9
Connect with the TWIG cast on LinkedIn
TWIG #263 The DoF Game Industry Awards
Which company took the most damage in 2023? What was the most disappointing game of the year? Who had the worst layoffs what were some of our most inaccurate takes?
Tune in to the realest awards show in the industry and hear our picks for each category on many more!
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Join us at PGC London >>> VIP Roundtables
AD APOCALYPSE 2024 with Felix Braberg, Ad Monetization Consultant
In-app ads are either important or crucial depending on the genre of games you’re making. In this episode, I’m joined by Felix Braberg, a true ad monetization expert. Together we discuss the effect of privacy changes on ad monetization, practical ways for games to double their ad revenue, the efficacy of different ad formats, and the changes onset by Apple, Amazon, and Google to the whole ad monetization ecosystem. connect with Felix (www.felixbraberg.com)
The State of Play from Real-Time Payments to Web Shops
Host Jen Donahoe sits down with Xsolla's Interim CEO and President, Chris Hewish, to get the juicy facts from Xsolla's State of Play Report. The insights apply to all platforms and regions, so be sure to listen in.
They cover 4 key topics:
- The rise of real-time payments
- Alternative Payments
- Web shops with new data from the top 100 companies
- The upcoming EU DMA and side-loading in iOS 17.2 beta
For more information about the State of Play report visit the Xsolla Blog here
TWIG #262 GOOGLE V. EPIC WON'T SAVE US 🧑⚖️ 📵
With Miska downing soju faster than meat off a KBBQ grill, Eric and Jen lay down the law on Monopoly Go's UA numbers. Laura celebrates Apple's end-of-year awards, while Phil tells developers to hide yo' kids, hide yo' wife; Fortnite is coming for your genre. The crew talks about Epic's court victory that produced Tim Sweney's only natural smile to date.
Mobile Gaming Market in 2024 with Lexi Sydow of Data.ai
Want to catch your Data.ai 2024 predictions in a TWIG-like format? We got you covered! Jen Donahoe, Michail Katkoff, Brett Nowak and Eric Kress hosted by Lexi Sydow, deconstructed the gaming market while planting several jabs at each others' predictions.Topics discussed:
- Are we seeing gaming bottom out, or is the market on the up?
- Which areas in gaming are growing and why?
- What are today’s top engagement and monetization features?
"Zero" Cost Acquisition Tactics
How do you acquire your very first players without a marketing budget? What guerrilla marketing tactics work for games, and how can you execute them creatively?
Host, Jen Donahoe asks Julie Bonnecarrère and Pavel Afanasiev, co-founders of Northern Lights Entertainment (NLE), about their journey to soft launching on mobile under extreme budget constraints.
NLE is developing Nebulae (https://nebulae.world/) - a 4x strategy MMO for mobile & PC, where politics is a core gameplay component, and where players collectively control numerous political regimes - in space!
TWIG #261 Reacting to GTA VI 🚗 🔫
The not-so-Fabulous Five are right back at it discussing GTA 6 trailer that broke the internet. We recap Slush, the latest boondoggle with Mishka and Phil. Predict what the console gaming market will be in 2024 and get our engines revved up by the latest Forza Customs and Chrome Valley Customs.
Connect with the TWIG Cast to give feedback and keep the conversation going!
Philip Black, Jen Donahoe, Eric Kress, Laura Taranto & Mishka Katkoff
TWIG #260 Get the F out of here! State of Mobile
Ethan's back, and so is Kress telling him to "Get the F Out of here!" Laura breaks down June's Journey $1B revenue milestone with Ethan chiming in with a history lesson on Hidden Object games. Jen covers the nominees for the gam3.gg Web 3 awards. Kress gives a state of mobile games industry update and the team talks about the state SKAN4 and the upcoming SKAN5.
Connect with the TWIG Cast to give feedback and keep the conversation going (in alphabetical order)
Philip Black, Jen Donahoe, Eric Kress, Ethan Levy, Laura Taranto
Product Marketing Management in Games with Jesse Lempiäinen, Founder/CEO of Geeklab
What is the role of Product Marketing Managers (PMMs) in gaming? The discussion emphasizes two key aspects that PMMs enable: Firstly, facilitating the identification of product-market fit early in the development phase, thereby preventing costly pivots after the game's launch Secondly, they allow Product Managers and Game Directors to concentrate on enhancing key performance indicators (KPIs) and team efficiency by serving as the primary liaison between the game team and internal/external marketing and user research teams. The episode delves into questions about what to expect from a PMM, how to identify a good one, the evolving nature of their role post-privacy changes, and optimal placement within a company's organizational structure. Jesse Lempiäinen, the CEO and Founder of Geeklab, a platform for efficiently testing product/market fit, provides insights and answers to these inquiries.
TWIG #259 Monopoly Go's Winning Formula
We have a full house and lots of topics to cover! The talk of the week is Scopely's Monopoly Go crossing $1B in revenue in just 7 months. We have a Esports smackdown and we also talk a bit about Web3 to keep things spicy.
Kudos to our sponsors: Heroic Labs, Xsolla, AppsFlyer, and Data.ai
WHAT HAPPENED TO THE WEB3 GAMING DREAM???
In the heyday of 2022, there was an unprecedented surge in investment in Web3 games, capturing nearly half of all investment in both dollars and raw numbers. However, the excitement and speculation didn't translate into quality games, resulting in numerous failures within the industry. Warren Woodward, CCO and co-founder of Upptic, a leading growth agency for games, joins the podcast to explain what happened to the Web3 gaming dream and what the future entails.
TWIG #258 Grouchy Kress Alert 🚨
Kress embraces grouchiness and brings the fire to today's podcast. Phil gets triggered by behavioural economics delivering an epic rant. Mishka weakly defends his “China” point and Jen talks about the latest Call of Duty that got drowned by the worst score in the history of the franchise.
The crew discusses why console developers are backtracking from the Games-as-a-Service model and announces the Deconstructor of Fun Gaming Awards. The episode is capped by Zynga’s Match Factory breakdown.
7 x GAME INDUSTRY TRUTHS with CHRIS HEWISH, PRESIDENT of XSOLLA
In the latest podcast, Mishka delves into an all-encompassing discussion with Chris Hewish, President and interim CEO of Xsolla. Chris boasts an impressive gaming career that spans iconic companies like Skydance, Survios, DreamWorks, and includes a substantial 13-year stint at Activision.
Topics discussed:
- Macroeconomics vs. Game Investments
- Console Gaming: Challenges & Opportunities
- Behavioral Economics
- Unity’s Odyssey
- Transmedia
- Generative AI and Creative Workflows
- Bonus…
TWIG #257 Undercover at Blizzcon 🦹
With Miska resuming his jet-set life, Jen reviews hygiene at Blizzcon, while Kress tells us his opinion on the unexpected departure of PlayStation CEO and reminds us of the difference between Trekkies and fans. Laura and Phil go deep on Brawl Stars' new announcement - it's due or die. Phil can't understand The Finals, and neither can Eric. Omega Strikers is dead, and the team performs an autopsy.
BIG ups to our sponsors AppsFlyer, Heroic Labs, Data.ai and Xsolla!
Chris Petrovic Teaches Acquiring Great Gaming Companies
Are you ready for the Merger & Acquisition Masterclass? Learn from Chris Petrovic, former Zynga Head of Corporate Strategy, why game companies venture into M&A, what are the biggest challenges and reasons leading to failed deals, current M&A trends, and more.
TWIG #256 "WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON WITH VIDEO GAMES?"
As Microsoft reorgs Xbox leadership, we debate who could be the perfect person to replace Bobby Kotick as the CEO of Activision. We also discuss why our industry has all the layoffs in the middle of breaking sales records. And we also talk about games: Mario Wonder, Supercell's Mo.Co and Wonder Blast from Good Game Studios.
shoutout to our world-class spornsors: AppsFlyer, Xsolla, Heroic Labs, and Data.ai
DIARY OF A (retired) CEO
In this episode, we explore the unique challenges and successes of a remarkable woman CEO in the gaming industry.
Our guest, Carol Miu, has shattered glass ceilings and achieved incredible milestones throughout her career. We'll dive deep into her journey, discussing gender disparities in the CEO role, her most memorable achievements in maintaining work-life balance, industry evolution, and her reflections on her career. Y
ou won't want to miss this inspiring conversation with a trailblazing leader in the gaming world. Stay tuned for valuable insights and advice!
How to Get Press, Tips from Mobilegamer.biz
How do game companies get press for their new games, big company moments, or new hires? We ask Neil Long, founder and editor of Mobilegamer.biz, for tips and tricks on how to approach game media to get press.
Neil Long is the founder and editor of mobilegamer.biz, a new site for the mobile games business. He started out in games industry journalism almost 20 years ago, and before launching mobilegamer.biz he spent seven years at Apple as an App Store games editor, working out of the London office.
TWIG 255: "F You Unity, We're not Paying!"
The non-sick trifecta of Kress, Phil, and Jen hold down the fort. Kress pushed back on the India opportunity, arguing it's only for the top-of-the-top games. The gang revisits the Unity runtime fee news with new insights and quotes reported by Mobilegamer.biz. Shameless speculation ensues about Microsoft's declining success with Game Pass, meaning they might want to cancel it. What happened to Payday3? Trading was canceled in Rocket League.
All this and the top game industry news of the week.
How to Deal With Negative Feedback a conversation with Sophie Vo of Rise and Play
How to deal with negative feedback? And the importance of self-esteem, self-awareness, self-reflection, and self-evaluation.
In today’s Episode joined by my friend and former colleague, Sophie Vo. Sophie comes with 15 years of experience in the games industry working at companies like Gameloft, Wooga, Rovio, Voodoo, and Savage Game Studios.
Sophie is perhaps best known for her Rise & Play podcast and newsletter, which focuses on leadership challenges in the gaming industry.
Untapped India Mobile Opportunity
According to Niko Partners, the India games market is projected to generate almost $900M in 2023 with almost ½ a billion players. That's growth of 21% YOY from 2022 for revenue and 12% for the number of players. Probably the most interesting stat is that 97% of India’s gamers play on smartphones.
To dig in, we got the platform experts to come and highlight the various opportunities, from overall revenue to implementing new payment methods, sub-dollar price point IAP, exclusive products, and marketing tips.
We welcome Vinay Charaniya and Ash Dixit from the Google Play Partnerships team focused on India and SEA. Both of them consult gaming developers, helping them grow their games on the Google Play Platform.
For developers who want to reach out to get more info on scaling their games for India (or other emerging markets), we have this simple form to fill out, and the Google Play Partnership team will reach out. Or, need India localization tips? Check out Ash's Medium article.
TWIG #254 Unity and Activision CEO Fantasy Draft
Laura and Phil deep dive into Monster Hunter's early positive numbers in Japan before arguing over Warcraft Rumble's design and art choice. Jen and Kress put the Activision and Microsoft merger to rest while setting up their fantasy drafts for new CEOs of Activision, post-Bobby Kotick's departure at the end of 2023, and Unity, post-John Riccitiello's departures. Finally, the team reviews all the reasons why Disney shouldn't, can't, and won't buy EA.
AR Gaming revived by the Meta Quest 3?
Is there an opportunity for AR gaming on mobile after all the attention coming to AR from the Meta Quest 3 and Apple Vision Pro?
Here to unpack that topic is Asad J Malik, CEO of Jaru AR.
Asad is an augmented reality pioneer whose critically acclaimed narrative storytelling projects positioned him as a visionary in the space before completing his undergraduate degree. He has directed next-generation AR experiences featuring icons like Serena Williams and Lil Nas X and runs the AR company Jadu, launching a first-of-its-kind multiplayer augmented reality fighting game for mobile.
Check our Jadu Fight in AR
Available on iOS and Android
TWIG #253 John Riccitiello's Legacy / EA post FIFA in Numbers
The crew discusses the legacy of John Riccitiello's, who stepped down as the CEO of Unity. We also talk about how EA is doing after getting rid of FIFA and deconstruct TakeTwo's latest mobile game, Top Troops. Donate to those impacted by the war: linktr.ee/SUPPORT.ISRAEL?utm_source=linktree_profile_share
The Art of Hiring and Getting Hired with Jordan Mazer, Head of Talent at a16z Games
Needless to say, the games industry is going through a rough patch after a decade of booming growth. That is why this episode, with a16z’s Jordan Mazer, is very relevant both for companies and individuals.
Jordan has unrivaled experience scaling high-performing teams at Amazon, Scopely, and Riot. He has interviewed thousands, if not tens of thousands professionals, Jordan shares invaluable insights and best practices for companies and individuals.
TWIG #252 Unity's CEO Finally Speak Out while Epic Lays Off 900
Join us in Tel Aviv > LINK
The fabulous four discuss Epic's massive layoffs, Netflix's Love is Blind, Fortnite's price increases, and Unity CEO, John Riccotello's
Hosts: Jen Donahue, Laura Taranto, Eric Kress and Philip Black
Thanks to our world-class sponsors: AppsFlyer, Heroic Labs, Data.ai and Xsolla
REPRESENTATION IN GAMES and Game Award shows
Co-host of TWIG, Jen Donahoe, kicks off her one-on-one deep dive series of podcasts designed to give listeners actionable tips from experts in the game industry across marketing, publishing, media, and more.
First up, Robin Gray from Gray Media, founder of Gayming Magazine, the world's only LGBTQ video game magazine, and creator of the Gayming Awards, coming April 2024.
They discuss the benefits of and tips for authentically showcasing representation in your games.
TWIG #251 If we were running Unity, we'd...
Join us in Tel Aviv > SIGNUP
We have the full crew back in the house Together we analyze the latest turns in the Unity saga and most importantly (or least importantly) tell what we'd do should we be running the company. We also debate the role of Big Tech in the game industry's future.