Naavik Gaming Podcast

“AAA is not in crisis; it is in a moment of change.” In this episode, Kate Kellogg, the COO of EA Studios, joins our host, Alexandra Takei, Director at Ruckus Games, to discuss game launches, EA's strategic approach, and how EA staffs and organizes itself to win. We discuss the challenge of aligning development resources with performance expectations and delve into EA's strategic pillars of Play, Watch, Create, and Connect. We explore why this strategy is not only well-suited for the current gaming market but why it is the optimal choice for EA as well as how franchises (e.g. The Sims, College Football) manifest their expressions of those strategic pillars. Kate also explains how EA is incorporating AI into its development stack across quality assurance, asset creation, and moderation, plus how EA's talent and culture is supercharging this organization's goals. We’d also like to thank Overwolf for making this episode possible! Whether you're a gamer, creator, or game studio, Overwolf is the ultimate destination for integrating UGC in games! You can check out all Overwolf has to offer at https://www.overwolf.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 [email protected]. Watch the episode: YouTube ChannelFor more episodes and details: Podcast WebsiteFree newsletter: Naavik DigestFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | WebsiteSound design by Gavin Mc Cabe.

It's no secret that distribution across all major gaming platforms is virtually inaccessible to all but the most deep-pocketed developers. The go-go days of being able to bootstrap a studio or raise a modest amount of funding to grow and scale a title are long gone, and there have been very few emerging platforms that show outsized promise. But is that about to change? Telegram games have exploded onto the scene over the past few months. Top titles like Hamster Kombat, with deceptively simple yet surprisingly deep gameplay, can attract hundreds of millions of players in a matter of months - or even weeks! How and why is this happening? Could Telegram be the next "big thing" for gaming, a truly new platform where cost-effective user acquisition and effective distribution are once again possible? To find out, your host, Niko Vuori, sits down with Simon Davis, Founder & CEO of Mighty Bear Games, a studio that grew its own Telegram title, Goat Gaming, to 2 million players in a matter of weeks. Simon drops some major alpha about what is driving adoption among developers on Telegram, who the player base is, retention and engagement metrics, how these games are bridging some elements of web3, and much more. We’d also like to thank nSure.ai for making this episode possible! In the gaming industry, protecting revenue from fraudsters is crucial. That’s where nSure.ai comes in. As a proven industry leader, nSure.ai provides scalable payment fraud prevention that’s not just effective but tailored specifically to your needs. To learn more, visit https://www.nsure.ai/contactIf 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 [email protected]. Watch the episode: YouTube ChannelFor more episodes and details: Podcast WebsiteFree newsletter: Naavik DigestFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | WebsiteSound design by Gavin Mc Cabe.

In recent years, there’s been considerable discourse about the game industry’s challenges. However, according to today's guest, Jiten Dajee, one core element has been missing from the conversation: the root technical causes underlying many of today’s business woes. After all, game tech shapes the way games are developed and managed, which in turn drives business outcomes.Jiten, General Partner at Rendered VC, joins host Aaron Bush to discuss how the state of game tech is holding developers back, how many managers fail to solve systemic issues, interesting trends across global development teams, and how all of this shapes the way he invests. We also hit where future game tech breakthroughs may come from and areas adjacent to gaming that are worth keeping an eye on.We’d also like to thank AWS for Games for making this episode possible. AWS for Games aligns purpose-built game development capabilities — including AWS services like Amazon GameLift as well as solutions from AWS Partners — to help game developers build, run, and grow their games. For more information, visit https://aws.amazon.com/gametech/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 [email protected]’s On:Guest - Jiten Dajee: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jitendajee/ Host - Aaron Bush: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaron-bush-846b8185/ Watch the episode: YouTube ChannelFor more episodes and details: Podcast WebsiteFree newsletter: Naavik DigestFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | WebsiteSound design by Gavin Mc Cabe.

If you are into fantasy sports, Dream 11 is a household name. Boasting over 220M active users, it is one of the most popular fantasy sports platforms in the world. But what you might not know is that Dream 11 is just one part of the Dream Sports Group, which aspires to be a full 360 sports experience beyond fantasy (including merchandise, travel, streaming, live experiences, and, of course, video games).Rohit Gupta, Founder and CEO of Dream Games Studios, joins our host, Alexandra Takei, Director at Ruckus Games, for a discussion about innovation and growth in the sports video game industry with a specific eye towards Cricket and India. Their most recent game, Dream Cricket, aims to be the most authentic and realistic cricket game in the market. But what makes a good cricket game, and can you create a blockbuster cricket video game akin to Madden for the Indian market? What advantages are there to building in public, and what are the challenges in the licensing (name, image, and likeness) across the pro cricket space? What is the macro positioning for the sports video game market, and how has Dream Sports Group organized itself to capitalize on the opportunity? That and more!We’d also like to thank Lightspeed Venture Partners for making this episode possible! With its dedicated gaming practice, "Lightspeed Gaming," the firm is investing from over $7B in early- and growth-stage capital — the by far largest fund focused on gaming and interactive technology. If you’re interested in learning more, go to https://gaming.lsvp.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 [email protected]. Watch the episode: YouTube ChannelFor more episodes and details: Podcast WebsiteFree newsletter: Naavik DigestFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | WebsiteSound design by Gavin Mc Cabe.

Over the last few years, brands have increasingly gravitated to platforms like Roblox as a way to reach younger audiences. In 2023 alone, we saw 240 brand activations on Roblox, which doubled from the year prior. In terms of revenue, this contributed to over $80 million in brand spend, which equates to roughly 10% of Roblox's developer earnings for 2023.From the brand perspective, results can vary greatly depending on the execution. As advertisers, the cost per play session in a branded experience can range from as much as $1 to a fraction of a cent. Critical decisions include whether a brand should build its own experience versus integrate into an already popular one, and it's important to understand how well the brand resonates with Roblox's audience as well as any specific genre. With such uncertainty around outcomes, much of the spend so far has come from innovation budgets rather than traditional marketing allocations.To explore these trends further and discuss what needs to happen for advertising to further scale on Roblox, our host, David Taylor, sat down with three veterans of the Roblox advertising space, each with their own unique approaches: Matt Edelman, President of Super League Gaming, Harry Bienenstock, Head of Growth at Voldex, and Evan Zirschky, CEO of Turning Tables. We’d also like to thank Neon – a merchant of record with customizable webshops optimized for conversion – for making this episode possible! Neon is trusted by some of the biggest names in gaming and can help you sell direct without the typical overhead. To learn more, visit https://www.neonpay.com/?utm_source=naavikIf 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 [email protected]. Watch the episode: YouTube ChannelFor more episodes and details: Podcast WebsiteFree newsletter: Naavik DigestFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | WebsiteSound design by Gavin Mc Cabe.

The gaming industry is currently facing an identity crisis, with widespread layoffs, escalating budgets, and a flood of new games hitting the market. In light of these macro trends, game studios and platforms need to find ways to leverage their existing strengths or develop new strategies for long-term success.Ben Feder, Managing Partner at Tirta and former CEO of Take-Two, and Ken Wee, former CSO of Activision Blizzard King, join host Alexandra Takei, Director at Ruckus Games, to delve into the strategies of four major players in the gaming industry: Microsoft, Sony, Valve, and Roblox. Given the dynamic and uncertain future of the gaming industry, this episode explores how these companies and platforms are approaching content discovery, the role of AI in game development, innovative business models, and future-proofing their businesses. If you want to gain insights into the strategies of these four companies from industry experts, this episode is for you!We’d also like to thank Overwolf for making this episode possible! Whether you're a gamer, creator, or game studio, Overwolf is the ultimate destination for integrating UGC in games! You can check out all Overwolf has to offer at https://www.overwolf.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 [email protected]. Watch the episode: YouTube ChannelFor more episodes and details: Podcast WebsiteFree newsletter: Naavik DigestFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | WebsiteSound design by Gavin Mc Cabe.

UGC is hot, hot, hot right now. Roblox is on track to pay out half a billion USD to creators - annually - and never has it been more possible for young, individual creators to make a meaningful living as “game developers.” But is Roblox the only place for such creators? HiberWorld, a platform that's empowering anyone to build and share their own 3D worlds, is trying to change that by making making it as easy possible for anyone, at any age, and anywhere in the world to build their own virtual worlds. HiberWorld has already achieved some impressive milestones, reaching 1 million worlds in 2021, 5 million in 2023, and 6.5 million at latest count. Underlying everything is Hiber3D, Hiber’s web engine, which is trying to make it as easy as possible for anyone to build their own HiberWorld.In this episode your host, Niko Vuori, sits down with Hiber’s Chief Strategy Officer Sean Kauppinen to discuss Hiber’s story, what growth strategies it has used to grow, and what differentiates it from Roblox. Check out Hiber on the web. You can find Sean Kauppinen on LinkedIn. For more information about some of the topics discussed in this episode, check out Dive Analytics for outsourced games BI, Nir Eyal’s excellent book “Hooked” about building habit-forming products, and The New York Times’ “Hard Fork” podcast for all things tech and particularly their excellent coverage of developments in AI.We’d also like to thank nSure.ai for making this episode possible! In the gaming industry, protecting revenue from fraudsters is crucial. That’s where nSure.ai comes in. As a proven industry leader, nSure.ai provides scalable payment fraud prevention that’s not just effective but tailored specifically to your needs. To learn more, visit https://www.nsure.ai/contact 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 [email protected]. Watch the episode: YouTube ChannelFor more episodes and details: Podcast WebsiteFree newsletter: Naavik DigestFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | WebsiteSound design by Gavin Mc Cabe.

On August 28th, the Securities and Exchange Commission issued a Wells Notice to OpenSea, notifying the largest NFT marketplace that it is under investigation for operating as an unlicensed exchange, labeling the NFTs traded on the platform as securities. Founder & CEO of OpenSea, Devin Finzer, posted that “[t]his is a move into uncharted territory. By targeting NFTs, the SEC would stifle innovation on an even broader scale: hundreds of thousands of online artists and creatives are at risk, and many do not have the resources to defend themselves. NFTs are fundamentally creative goods: art, collectibles, video game items, domain names, event tickets, and more.” In this very first Naavik Gaming emergency podcast, your host, Niko Vuori, sits down with Naavik web3 analyst Devin Becker and web3 operator Steven Wade to digest the news and discuss what this might mean for web3 gaming. Here's Devin Finzer’s post announcing the Wells Notice. You can find Niko, Devin and Steven on LinkedIn.We’d also like to thank Overwolf for making this episode possible! Whether you're a gamer, creator, or game studio, Overwolf is the ultimate destination for integrating UGC in games! You can check out all Overwolf has to offer at https://www.overwolf.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 [email protected]. Watch the episode: YouTube ChannelFor more episodes and details: Podcast WebsiteFree newsletter: Naavik DigestFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | WebsiteSound design by Gavin Mc Cabe.

Hasbro is known for iconic properties like Dungeons and Dragons and Monopoly, but is sometimes overlooked as the licensor of incredible video game successes such as Baldur's Gate III and Monopoly Go!In the last 12 months, Hasbro's licensed games have generated a staggering $3.25 billion, making it the largest entertainment IP licensor in video games, and almost doubling the revenue of the next largest licensor, Disney, which includes powerhouse franchises like Marvel and Star Wars.David Taylor sat down with Eugene Evans, the Senior Vice President of Digital Strategy and Licensing at Hasbro. In this episode we dive into Hasbro's approach to licensing IP to video game developers and how they’ve successfully transitioned their business from the physical playground to the virtual realm.We’d also like to thank nSure.ai for making this episode possible! In the gaming industry, protecting revenue from fraudsters is crucial. That’s where nSure.ai comes in. As a proven industry leader, nSure.ai provides scalable payment fraud prevention that’s not just effective but tailored specifically to your needs. To learn more, visit https://www.nsure.ai/contactIf 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 [email protected]. Watch the episode: YouTube ChannelFor more episodes and details: Podcast WebsiteFree newsletter: Naavik DigestFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | WebsiteSound design by Gavin Mc Cabe.

Today, we explore what it takes to build the next big video game franchise powered by user-generated games. It's a daunting task as Epic Games paid roughly $320 million to creators in the past year in order to incentivize creators to build new experiences on its platform. That's enough money to develop and market a new AAA franchise every year. However, that hasn't discouraged start-up studios like Build a Rocket Boy and OCP from diving headfirst into the space. Build a Rocket Boy recently closed a $110 million Series D round and OCP a $16.25 million Series A. Our host, David Taylor, sat down with Sergiy Galyonkin, Senior Vice President of Publishing at Build a Rocket Boy, and Mike Atamas, Co-founder and CEO of Omni Creator Products, to discuss their companies’ approaches and what each of them learned from their previous experiences working on Fortnite.We’d also like to thank Heroic Labs for making this episode possible! Thousands of studios have trusted Heroic Labs to help them focus on their games and not worry about gametech or scaling for success. To learn more and reach out, make sure to visit https://heroiclabs.com/?utm_source=Naavik&utm_medium=CPC&utm_campaign=Podcast .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 [email protected]. Watch the episode: YouTube ChannelFor more episodes and details: Podcast WebsiteFree newsletter: Naavik DigestFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | WebsiteSound design by Gavin Mc Cabe.

Animoca has been an unwavering web3 cheerleader since day one, with a stated goal of leveraging blockchain technologies to “deliver digital property rights to consumers around the world and to help to establish the open metaverse.” The company develops and publishes a broad portfolio of both original and licensed IP, and has its finger in about as many web3 pies as anyone on the planet, through its over 450 investments in some big names like Yuga Labs, Axie Infinity, Consensys, Magic Eden, OpenSea, Yield Guild Games, and so many more. One of Animoca’s goals is to build out a holistic ecosystem of digital car ownership, which they are calling the Motorverse. To learn more about Animoca and their Motorverse strategy, your host Niko Vuori talks with Will Griffiths, GM of the Motorverse at Animoca Brands. The Motorverse: https://motorverse.com/ . You can find Will Griffiths on LinkedIn.We’d also like to thank Neon for making this episode possible! Neon is a merchant of record with customizable webshops optimized for conversion — and modern APIs that let you use your existing liveops tools — Neon is trusted by some of the biggest names in gaming to help you sell direct without the overhead. To learn more, visit https://www.neonpay.com/?utm_source=naavik 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 [email protected]. Watch the episode: YouTube ChannelFor more episodes and details: Podcast WebsiteFree newsletter: Naavik DigestFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | WebsiteSound design by Gavin Mc Cabe.

One of the biggest web3 hits of 2022, the horse racing game Pegaxy, generated over $200 million in sales, second only to Axie Infinity during that period. After building heads down during the crypto bear market through the end of the 2023, the company behind Pegaxy, Mirai Labs, is ready to ride again, now with its second game, Petopia, a top-down roguelite shooter. With its fresh and innovative take on guilds, fractional ownership of teams, and passive income, Petopia is looking to invigorate the play-to-earn (P2E) genre, having absorbed many lessons from the prior web3 wave.To learn more about the origin story of Pegaxy, what Petopia is doing differently, and the Mirai Labs roadmap, your host Niko Vuori talks with Corey Wilton, Founder & CEO of Mirai Labs. Mirai Labs: https://mirailabs.co/. You can find Corey Wilton on LinkedIn.We’d also like to thank Overwolf for making this episode possible! Whether you're a gamer, creator, or game studio, Overwolf is the ultimate destination for integrating UGC in games! You can check out all Overwolf has to offer at https://www.overwolf.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 [email protected]. Watch the episode: YouTube ChannelFor more episodes and details: Podcast WebsiteFree newsletter: Naavik DigestFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | WebsiteSound design by Gavin Mc Cabe.

There are 3B gamers in the world, and many of those players have disabilities. Often called “accessibility” or “adaptive gaming”, this is one of the most important topics (and markets) in the gaming industry. From mobility, visual, and hearing impairments to cognitive and speech impairments, the industry has begun making strides in addressing how we can enable as many people as possible to access gaming experiences, plus interpret and perceive the content as intended. Alexander Dunn, Founder and CEO of Cephable, joins our host, Alexandra Takei, Director at Ruckus Games, for a discussion on who is doing what in the hardware space, which games are masterclasses in pushing the frontiers of accessibility, and how AI is impacting studios' abilities to do these things in a cost efficient manner. We also discuss how Cephable is playing a role as a mediator between different types of inputs (gesture control, voice activation, and facial recognition) and is building a marketplace of games that support adaptive controls. We’d also like to thank Lightspeed Venture Partners for making this episode possible! With its dedicated gaming practice, "Lightspeed Gaming," the firm is investing from over $7B in early- and growth-stage capital — the by far largest fund focused on gaming and interactive technology. If you’re interested in learning more, go to https://gaming.lsvp.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 [email protected]. Watch the episode: YouTube ChannelFor more episodes and details: Podcast WebsiteFree newsletter: Naavik DigestFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | WebsiteSound design by Gavin Mc Cabe.

Online safety for kids has only become more important over time, and it's become a thorny compliance topic for games teams to wrestle with. Fortunately, talented entrepreneurs are creating solutions that make it easier for games teams (and beyond) to tackle these challenges. To help explore this nuanced topic, host Aaron Bush is joined by Kieran Donovan, co-founder and CEO of k-ID (which recently raised a $45M Series A, led by Lightspeed and a16z), as well as Dylan Collins, serial entrepreneur behind Demonware, Jolt, and SuperAwesome.We dive into what’s changed in the kidtech market over the past decade, k-IDs new approach, lessons learned from SuperAwesome, where the market and k-ID are headed next, and how games teams can benefit from these emerging solutions.This episode is brought to you by CleverTap Gaming, the all-in-one platform for creating personalized player experiences. Visit https://clevertap.com/gaming/ for more details. 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 [email protected]’s On:Guest - Kieran Donovan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kieran-donovan-06399819/ Guest - Dylan Collins: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dylanc/Host - Aaron Bush: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaron-bush-846b8185/ Watch the episode: YouTube ChannelFor more episodes and details: Podcast WebsiteFree newsletter: Naavik DigestFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | WebsiteSound design by Gavin Mc Cabe.

Voice games have had a quiet history compared to mobile, console, and the PC gaming arena. However, Lightspeed and Microsoft’s M12 Ventures see Volley Games as a leader and game changer in the space, co-leading a $55M Series C on the backs of solid MAU and ARR. Our host, Alexandra Takei, Director at Ruckus Games, speaks with Max Child, CEO and Co-Founder of Volley, about the history of voice games, the current market, and the AI inflection point that enables experiences that were once hindered by slow speech recognition, difficulty in assessing intent, and the inability to interrupt an AI speaker. The duo dive into what’s in the Volley portfolio, how the games are performing, who is playing them, and how they are monetizing. We discuss the history of “input design” in games (controllers, mouse, keyboard, bespoke hardware) and why voice is one of the most powerful input mechanisms at the heart of human connectivity. That and more!We’d also like to thank Overwolf for making this episode possible! Whether you're a gamer, creator, or game studio, Overwolf is the ultimate destination for integrating UGC in games! You can check out all Overwolf has to offer at https://www.overwolf.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 [email protected]. Watch the episode: YouTube ChannelFor more episodes and details: Podcast WebsiteFree newsletter: Naavik DigestFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | WebsiteSound design by Gavin Mc Cabe.

Mobile gaming is a tough business, but Voodoo has been able to evolve with the times. After years of pioneering hypercasual, the company has more recently set its sights on making casual mobile games with deeper metas and monetization tactics. This pivot sparked major changes across the organization, but it’s already led to major hits – the largest of which is Mob Control, which surpassed the $200M revenue barrier and is still climbing.In order to learn the full story of Mob Control, host Aaron Bush flew to Barcelona, Spain to meet with Miguel Santirso, a General Manager at Voodoo whose internal studio, Mambo Studio, has masterminded the game’s ascent. We discuss Voodoo’s unique culture, the origin story of Mob Control, and the key decisions that led to the game’s success. We also touch on what’s next for Mob Control and how the team is managing the next hit on its hands, Block Jam.This is a case study in mobile gaming excellence you certainly won’t want to miss.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 [email protected]’s On:Guest - Miguel Santirso: https://www.linkedin.com/in/miguelsantirso/ Host - Aaron Bush: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaron-bush-846b8185/ Watch the episode: YouTube ChannelFor more episodes and details: Podcast WebsiteFree newsletter: Naavik DigestFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | WebsiteSound design by Gavin Mc Cabe.

Casual word games is a tough, tough category to compete in on mobile. Not only is it a very crowded red ocean, but casual games are notoriously hard to monetize effectively through IAPs, making user acquisition even more difficult than it already is in the post-IDFA world. That said, Funcraft is making it work in their favor, building a thriving, growing business with an expanding portfolio of games and with the ability to spend profitably, at scale, on user acquisition. With a small team of experienced industry veterans, investments in systems, processes, and analytics, as well as a second-to-none ad mediation stack, Funcraft is a great case study in how it is still possible to compete with the big guys — and win. To learn more about how Funcraft is making it work, your host Niko Vuori talks with Michael Martinez, Founder & CEO of Funcraft. Funcraft: https://www.funcraft.com/. You can find Michael Martinez on LinkedIn.This episode is brought to you by CleverTap Gaming, the all-in-one platform for creating personalized player experiences. Visit https://clevertap.com/gaming/ for more details. 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 [email protected]. Watch the episode: YouTube ChannelFor more episodes and details: Podcast WebsiteFree newsletter: Naavik DigestFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | WebsiteSound design by Gavin Mc Cabe.

Between Apple’s policy changes and growing government regulations, privacy concerns have sparked a significant shift in AdTech strategies. This episode investigates the potential for privacy-focused ads, exploring how companies are adapting to new regulations while still striving for effective targeting. Host Devin Becker is joined by Geeshan Willink, CEO of Nefta, to dig into the complexities of maintaining anonymity and its implications for the gaming industry.Geeshan shares insights on Nefta's journey from its web3 roots through the struggles with building ad technology that meets growing privacy standards. We explore the balancing act between precision targeting and user privacy, comparing anonymous user profiling with traditional fingerprinting methods. Willink offers examples of how behavioral-based identification can lead to effective ad targeting without compromising user data and discusses the potential impact on player retention and ad inventory pricing. The discussion also touches on the challenges of implementing these new approaches in an entrenched industry, recent trends in AdTech, and predictions for the future of ad-supported gaming.We’d also like to thank Lightspeed Venture Partners for making this episode possible! With its dedicated gaming practice, "Lightspeed Gaming," the firm is investing from over $7B in early- and growth-stage capital — the by far largest fund focused on gaming and interactive technology. If you’re interested in learning more, go to https://gaming.lsvp.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 [email protected]. Watch the episode: YouTube ChannelFor more episodes and details: Podcast WebsiteFree newsletter: Naavik DigestFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | WebsiteSound design by Gavin Mc Cabe.

Chess is a business that has, without a doubt, been supercharged by linear media and has been booming since COVID-19. As one of the most tactically complex games ever designed, Chess has over 700 years of retention and history. But what is it like to build a chess empire? Chess.com, purchased by Erik Allebest and his co-founder for $55K in 2005, has built a web and mobile platform with over 170M raw accounts, 50M monthly active users, and 5-7M daily active users. Join our host, Alexandra Takei, Director at Ruckus Games, in a discussion with Erik that covers growing a team of two to 600 over 20 years, the monetization and engagement of a Chess platform, an overview of external acquisitions the company has made, and growing rapidly via what Erik calls a “great meme game”. We also discuss the pros and cons of not owning your IP and where the future of online Chess is headed! Checkmate! Also, big thanks to ZBD for making this episode possible! ZBD provides a plug-and-play API and SDK for seamless integration of instant, borderless, and low-fee payments using the Bitcoin Lightning Network. Want to better engage and monetize your global user base? Start for free at http://zbd.gg/https://grid.gg/?utm_source=naavik.co&utm_medium=media&utm_campaign=NaavikIf 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 [email protected]. Watch the episode: YouTube ChannelFor more episodes and details: Podcast WebsiteFree newsletter: Naavik DigestFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | WebsiteSound design by Gavin Mc Cabe.

Major toy companies like Spin Master, Mattel, and Hasbro have all been expanding their influence beyond traditional toys for many years. Spin Master, in particualr, is known for launching popular entertainment properties like PAW Patrol and Bakugan, which have seamlessly transitioned into digital formats in the form of TV series, movies, and video games. Spin Master has also been unafraid to acquire properties when it sees a strategic opportunity, such as its 2016 acquisition of Toca Boca, the children's mobile app developer. Today, host David Taylor sits down with Yves Saada, the Head of Strategic Partnerships at Spin Master, to better understand its place at the intersection of toys, video games, and entertainment more broadly. We cover Spin Master’s success in mobile games, as well as Roblox, and how that fits into Spin Master’s broader strategy as a toy company. We’d also like to thank Lightspeed Venture Partners for making this episode possible! With its dedicated gaming practice, "Lightspeed Gaming," the firm is investing from over $7B in early- and growth-stage capital — the by far largest fund focused on gaming and interactive technology. If you’re interested in learning more, go to https://gaming.lsvp.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 [email protected]. Watch the episode: YouTube ChannelFor more episodes and details: Podcast WebsiteFree newsletter: Naavik DigestFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | WebsiteSound design by Gavin Mc Cabe.

China is the second largest video game market in the world, and even though its industry has faced domestic challenges, China’s global impact on gaming continues to rise. However, if you’re an outsider, figuring out what’s happening in China can sometimes be opaque. That’s why host Aaron Bush is joined today by Josh Ye, a long-time reporter for all things gaming and tech in China.We dig into how China’s gaming market became massive over the past couple decades and how its current ecosystem compares and contrasts to the West’s. We also discuss the domestic regulatory challenges all gaming companies face in China and how Chinese companies are changing how they pursue international expansion. We hit on several specific companies – including Tencent, NetEase, Bytedance, and Hoyoverse – before wrapping up with some lessons learned and predictions for the future.We’d also like to thank Overwolf for making this episode possible! Whether you're a gamer, creator, or game studio, Overwolf is the ultimate destination for integrating UGC in games! You can check out all Overwolf has to offer at https://www.overwolf.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 [email protected]’s On:Guest - Josh Ye: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshyehk/ Host - Aaron Bush: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaron-bush-846b8185/ Watch the episode: YouTube ChannelFor more episodes and details: Podcast WebsiteFree newsletter: Naavik DigestFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | WebsiteSound design by Gavin Mc Cabe.

Apex Legends is known for having one of the most “boring” game launches in history in the best of ways. Jokingly called Uptime Legends, Apex pursued a multi-tiered cloud infrastructure that helped EA deliver one of the smoothest PvP launches in history. Sid Dhulipalla, CEO and Co-Founder of Hathora, and Steven Hartland, VP of Engineering at Rocket Science, join our host, Alex Takei, Director at Ruckus Games, to discuss the role of cloud and server orchestration in the distribution of modern video games and the business surrounding it. We chat all things bare metal, peer-to-peer, dedi servers, hybrid setups, and their implications on the player experience and the developer’s cost profile. We learn about the landscape of players from public cloud to bare metal to server orchestration to boutique backend teams that are available to studios across the AAA and indie spaces. We also have the age-old chicken and egg debate of “predictability, cost, and flexibility” as relative unknowns for every game launch despite being major components of any game's financial health. This episode is about the backbone of all video games - tune in!Big thanks to GRID for making this episode possible. GRID is a game data platform providing esports data infrastructure, analytics, and distribution solutions to leading game publishers including Riot Games, Ubisoft, and KRAFTON. If you're a fan, developer, or entrepreneur with an idea for a live data-powered project, make sure to apply for GRID Open Access, get free access to official data, and start creating today! To learn more, visit: https://grid.gg/?utm_source=naavik.co&utm_medium=media&utm_campaign=NaavikIf 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 [email protected]. Watch the episode: YouTube ChannelFor more episodes and details: Podcast WebsiteFree newsletter: Naavik DigestFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | WebsiteSound design by Gavin Mc Cabe.

As the world of gaming matures, the influence of content creators is increasingly important. In this episode, host Devin Becker sits down with Justin Sacks, CEO of Nexus, and Bryan Herren, Director of Partnerships for offbrand, to dive into the pivotal role of content creators in shaping the gaming ecosystem.The conversation kicks off with an exploration of the origins and current endeavors of Nexus and offbrand. As the discussion unfolds, Justin and Bryan illuminate the transformative power of content creators, emphasizing their importance beyond mere promotion. The conversation navigates the nuances of working with diverse content creators, from those focused on specific games or genres to versatile personalities with broad demographic appeal. Justin and Bryan also examine the evolving landscape of esports and user-generated content, envisioning a future where content creators play a pivotal role in the burgeoning UGC and modding scenes. Finally, the duo reflects on the potential challenges of deeper content creator involvement while outlining the future opportunity to build around creators for Nexus and offbrand in this dynamic landscape.We’d like to thank RallyHere for making this episode possible. RallyHere is a proven gaming backend platform and service made specifically for cross-platform live-service games. RallyHere is your one-stop-shop to streamline your development processes, increase speed to market, and optimize your post-launch live services. To learn more or schedule a demo, visit rallyhere.gg 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 [email protected]. Watch the episode: YouTube ChannelFor more episodes and details: Podcast WebsiteFree newsletter: Naavik DigestFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | WebsiteSound design by Gavin Mc Cabe.

Modding has long been a force of innovation and creativity in the games industry, but the emergence of cross-platform, premium mods is set to take modding to another level. Thanks to platforms like Overwolf’s CurseForge, studios and publishers can now enable all sorts of creators — even other professional studios — to build on top of their games and get rewarded for doing so. This new technical and economic unlock is poised to take UGC gaming to even higher heights and is a compelling growth opportunity for the entire industry.To best discuss this trend, host and Naavik co-founder Aaron Bush is joined by Uri Marchand, CEO of Overwolf, Jeremy Stieglitz, Co-Founder of Studio Wildcard, and Patrick Moran, Founder and COO of Look North World. Look North World, a young UGC-focused publisher and studio, is building a premium DLC on top of Studio Wildcard’s popular ARK: Survival Ascended, which is all enabled thanks to Overwolf’s CurseForge platform. The crew discusses how to operationalize premium mods, why the economics can be compelling, what cross-platform enablement unlocks, and big predictions for the future.We’d also like to thank Nexus for making this episode possible! Nexus’s creator program in-a-box makes it easy for game devs to build and manage a world-class creator program, driving significant growth in conversion, ARPPU, retention, and LTV. To learn more, go to http://nexus.gg/naavikIf 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 [email protected]. Watch the episode: YouTube ChannelFor more episodes and details: Podcast WebsiteFree newsletter: Naavik DigestFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | WebsiteSound design by Gavin Mc Cabe.

The New York Times is one of the world’s most recognized newspapers and has been in circulation since 1851. With 10 million subscribers, the Times has a huge audience and an even larger cultural impact. But the Gray Lady isn’t content to just rest on her laurels and focus on news - other verticals in which the Times operates are product reviews (The Wirecutter), sports (through their 2022 acquisition of The Athletic), cooking, and, of course, games. In addition to their home-grown casual titles, the Times famously acquired viral sensation Wordle in early 2022 and since then has launched hit games Connections and most recently Strands (in beta).To learn more about the Times’ games strategy, your host Niko Vuori talks with Jonathan Knight, Head of Games at The New York Times. New York Times Games: https://www.nytimes.com/subscription/games. You can find Jonathan Knight on LinkedIn.We’d also like to thank Lightspeed Venture Partners for making this episode possible! With its dedicated gaming practice, "Lightspeed Gaming," the firm is investing from over $7B in early- and growth-stage capital — the by far largest fund focused on gaming and interactive technology. If you’re interested in learning more, go to https://gaming.lsvp.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 [email protected]. Watch the episode: YouTube ChannelFor more episodes and details: Podcast WebsiteFree newsletter: Naavik DigestFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | WebsiteSound design by Gavin Mc Cabe.

Quality assurance is one of the most crucial aspects of game development to ensure the game functions as intended and to provide a positive player experience. Around $300M in funding has been directed towards AI “efficiency tools for creators” and Christoffer Holmgard, Founder of Modl.AI, and Nathan Martz, Founder of Agentic, are pushing the frontier of how AI can enhance and streamline QA processes. From “players as a service” to functional load testing, your host Alexandra Takei, Director at Ruckus Games, and guests discuss the history of QA, the various methods developers use to access it, the different types of testing in the ideal test pyramid, and where AI can realistically plug.-in. Agentic and Modl.AI are production-ready and share stories of successful partnerships with AA and indie studios to improve their testing processes. Tune in for a fascinating episode on the evolution of QA testing and a window into the future where collaboration between humans and AI agents is a developer's everyday life. Also, big thanks to ZBD for making this episode possible! ZBD provides a plug-and-play API and SDK for seamless integration of instant, borderless, and low-fee payments using the Bitcoin Lightning Network. Want to better engage and monetize your global user base? Start for free at http://zbd.gg/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 [email protected]. Watch the episode: YouTube ChannelFor more episodes and details: Podcast WebsiteFree newsletter: Naavik DigestFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | WebsiteSound design by Gavin Mc Cabe.

Yuga Labs, the heavyweight behind some of the biggest Web3 IP, including Bored Ape Yacht Club, CryptoPunks, and Meebits, made its first foray into games just over a year ago with its toilet-themed infinite runner, Dookey Dash. Now Yuga is here with a sequel called Dookey Dash: Unclogged, and there are a lot of innovations from the original - the most important of which are that it is not token-gated, and it is mobile. The game was developed in partnership with one of the earliest Web3 game studios, Faraway Games, best known for its shooter Mini Royale: Nations. In conjunction with this release, Yuga and Faraway have announced that Faraway Games is acquiring a subset of Yuga’s IP portfolio and that Yuga Chief Gaming Officer is joining Faraway as Chief Product Officer. In this episode your host, Niko Vuori, dives into Yuga’s and Faraway’s strategy, how the partnership came to be, what acquiring some of Yuga’s IP means for Web3 gaming more broadly for the ecosystem, and what learnings Yuga took from Dookey Dash to the sequel. Learn more about Yuga Labs and Faraway Games. You can find Spencer Tucker on LinkedIn.We’d also like to thank Nefta for making this episode possible. Nefta has created an advertising network that pays game publishers higher eCPMs on their iOS opt-out users and drives better results for advertisers. Learn more about how Nefta can boost your results at http://nefta.io/ 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 [email protected]. Watch the episode: YouTube ChannelFor more episodes and details: Podcast WebsiteFree newsletter: Naavik DigestFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | WebsiteSound design by Gavin Mc Cabe.

Krafton is one of the world’s premier video game publishers. After experiencing the explosive success of PUBG in the late 2010s, Krafton rebranded in 2018, went public in 2021, and has since been working to not just extend the PUBG brand to new games, platforms, and regions but also kickstart new IPs with innovative playstyles and partner with emerging developers around the world.To dig into the details, host Aaron Bush is joined by Maria Park, who currently serves as Head of Corporate Development at Krafton and previously was Head of Strategy at PUBG Corporation. In our conversation, we explore what strategically changed after going public, what it was like to navigate PUBG during the heights of battle royale, and the ins-and-outs of Krafton’s growth strategy. We cover lessons learned in taking IPs multiplatform, why Krafton is “scaling up creative,” how the company manages its investments, and how Krafton is leveraging emerging technologies like UGC and AI.We’d also like to thank Overwolf for making this episode possible! Whether you're a gamer, creator, or game studio, Overwolf is the ultimate destination for integrating UGC in games! You can check out all Overwolf has to offer at https://www.overwolf.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 [email protected]’s On:Guest - Maria Park: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chicago/ Host - Aaron Bush: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaron-bush-846b8185/ Watch the episode: YouTube ChannelFor more episodes and details: Podcast WebsiteFree newsletter: Naavik DigestFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | WebsiteSound design by Gavin Mc Cabe.

Roblox is approaching 350M monthly active users. It’s a platform that generated $3.3B in bookings last year and paid $740M to its developers and creators. The low barriers to entry for developers and immediate access to an audience of 350M players has made it an appealing proposition for indie developers. According to Roblox’s most recent estimate, however, there are over 5M developers on Roblox, which makes it incredibly competitive and difficult to stand out. Furthermore, the nuanced player expectations have left many professional developers scratching their heads wondering why their Candy Crush-inspired game mechanics never gained traction. Today, host David Taylor sits down with Janzen Madsen (aka Jandel) and Nathan Clemens (aka UndoneBuilder) to share their learnings from over eight years developing successful games on Roblox. Janzen is the creator of breakout hits such as a dusty trip, Field Trip Z, Wacky Wizards, and Gunfight Arena, which collectively have 100,000 concurrent players at the time of this recording. If Janzen were a game, he would be the eighth most popular game on Steam right now. Nathan has launched 24 Roblox games including The Survival Game, City Life, and War Simulator, which have garnered over 850M play sessions. These two understand the Roblox meta better than anyone else, so this is an episode you won't want to miss.This episode is brought to you by CleverTap Gaming, the all-in-one platform for creating personalized player experiences. Visit https://clevertap.com/gaming/ for more details. 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 [email protected]. Watch the episode: YouTube ChannelFor more episodes and details: Podcast WebsiteFree newsletter: Naavik DigestFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | WebsiteSound design by Gavin Mc Cabe.

In an era of games where the financing sources are slim and marketing and community can make or break your game launch, your host Alexandra Takei, Director at Ruckus Games, welcomes Tim Morten and Cara LaForge, CEO and Director of Business Operations respectively at Frost Giant Studios, to discuss their experiences in running a widely successful crowd financing campaign on Kickstarter ($2.4M, 2280% over target, with >$28K backers for an average wallet size of $85) and a crowd equity campaign on StartEngine. We talk about the differences between a crowd equity and crowd financing campaign, the dos and donts of Kickstarter as a platform, the planning and strategy behind the Stormgate campaign specifically (marketing beats, Founder’s pack design, and timing), as well as lessons learned if they were to do it all again. Tune in for a fun episode, and, if you’d like to contribute to Stormgate, they’re running an extension campaign on Indiegogo here due to demand! Big thanks to GRID for making this episode possible. GRID is a game data platform providing esports data infrastructure, analytics, and distribution solutions to leading game publishers including Riot Games, Ubisoft, and KRAFTON. If you're a fan, developer, or entrepreneur with an idea for a live data-powered project, make sure to apply for GRID Open Access, get free access to official data, and start creating today! To learn more, visit https://grid.gg/?utm_source=naavik.co&utm_medium=media&utm_campaign=NaavikIf 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 [email protected]. Watch the episode: YouTube ChannelFor more episodes and details: Podcast WebsiteFree newsletter: Naavik DigestFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | WebsiteSound design by Gavin Mc Cabe.

Guild of Guardians is Immutable’s second major game after Gods Unchained, and is one of the most anticipated web3 games of 2024 - Immutable has called it their new “flagship game” and has been preparing for a global May 15th launch. After starting out as a real-time RPG, the game pivoted to a more casual auto-battler 15 months ago, driven by Gods Unchained and formerly Magic the Gathering: Arena Design Director Chris Clay. Guild of Guardians is one of the first games on Immutable’s new ZK-EVM blockchain, which Naavik covered in the January 24, 2024 episode of the podcast with Immutable founder, Robbie Ferguson. In this episode, your host, Niko Vuori, sits down with Justin Hulog, Chief Studio Officer at Immutable and Chris Clay, VP & Design Director at Immutable and talks about Immutable’s gaming ambitions, lessons learned from Gods Unchained and how excited the Immutable team is about Guild of Guardian’s early metrics heading into the May 15th global release. If you are interested in web3 games, you won’t want to miss this episode. Check out Guild of Guardians online, as well as Niko’s January 2024 interview with Immutable founder Robbie Ferguson.We’d like to thank RallyHere for making this episode possible. RallyHere is a proven gaming backend platform and service made specifically for cross-platform live-service games. RallyHere is your one-stop-shop to streamline your development processes, increase speed to market, and optimize your post-launch live services. To learn more or schedule a demo, visit rallyhere.gg 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 [email protected]. Watch the episode: YouTube ChannelFor more episodes and details: Podcast WebsiteFree newsletter: Naavik DigestFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | WebsiteSound design by Gavin Mc Cabe.

In the dynamic landscape of gaming, the fusion of cutting-edge financial technology and innovative incentives is shaping a new era of player acquisition and engagement. Host Devin Becker leads an insightful discussion with Ben Cousens, Chief Strategy Officer of ZBD, and Paul West, Founder of Fumb Games, on the transformative power of Bitcoin rewards in gaming. Delving into Fumb's utilization of ZBD technology, they both unveil how this synergy propels gaming retention and LTV through examples of successful games harnessing ZBD’s Bitcoin Lightning Network service.Exploring the intersection of financial incentives and traditional user acquisition (UA), the conversation navigates how rewarding players financially complements conventional marketing strategies. Addressing pressing issues in mobile UA and retention, Ben and Paul dissect the system's efficacy in mitigating challenges and fostering sustainable growth. Strategic considerations, such as player segmentation and reward frequency, illuminate the nuanced approach required for optimal results. We explore how this approach manages to be cost effective for game developers by rewarding amounts that are a fraction of LTV while still strongly motivating players.Navigating the complexities of fluctuating Bitcoin prices and the potential for alternative reward forms, including NFTs, tokens and other networks, the discussion forecasts the evolving landscape of gaming incentives for games and potentially gamified apps. As the prospect of moving from free to play to rewarded play becomes potentially more prevalent, the episode raises thought-provoking questions about its trajectory and the ensuing competitive landscape. Join Devin, Ben, and Paul for a compelling exploration of the future where gaming and incentives converge to redefine player engagement.We’d also like to thank Lightspeed Venture Partners for making this episode possible! With its dedicated gaming practice, "Lightspeed Gaming," the firm is investing from over $7B in early- and growth-stage capital — the by far largest fund focused on gaming and interactive technology. If you’re interested in learning more, go to https://gaming.lsvp.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 [email protected]. Watch the episode: YouTube ChannelFor more episodes and details: Podcast WebsiteFree newsletter: Naavik DigestFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | WebsiteSound design by Gavin Mc Cabe.

A new era of game developer has arrived to shake up narrative game making. In this episode, host Alexandra Takei, Director at Ruckus Games, welcomes Emily Pitcher, founder of Sondering, and Karla Reyes, founder of Anima Interactive, two Forbes 30 under 30 game developers focused on narrative innovation and socially conscious storytelling. The discussion delves into the evolution of narrative in games, innovative storytelling mechanics, the importance of representation, and finally, the limited innovation brought to business models within the narrative genre. Beyond building stories for the underrepresented, they are also committed to building studios whose developers are uniquely qualified to do so: social media and Tik Tok native (check out Emily’s robust following here), and importantly, have lived experiences that lend themselves to a creator’s truth. Games are a powerful medium for storytelling and social change and it is developers like these that are leading the charge. Also, big thanks to ZEBEDEE for making this episode possible! ZEBEDEE provides a plug-and-play API and SDK for seamless integration of instant, borderless, and low-fee payments using the Bitcoin Lightning Network. Want to better engage and monetize your global user base? Start for free at https://zebedee.io/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 [email protected]. Watch the episode: YouTube ChannelFor more episodes and details: Podcast WebsiteFree newsletter: Naavik DigestFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | WebsiteSound design by Gavin Mc Cabe.

Nyan Heroes is a team-based hero shooter featuring small cats piloting giant mechs. The studio was founded in Singapore in 2021 and is staffed by industry veterans from hit franchises like Marvel’s Avengers, Destiny, and Halo. Combining web3 and web2 elements, the game aspires to competitive gameplay and has already secured partnerships with top names in the esports space. The game also has garnered impressive reviews and early stats. Nyan Heroes is a top 5 most wishlisted game on the Epic Games Store, a top 16 most played game on the Epic Games Store during its recent alpha demo, and boasts over 1.3 million registered users, 80% of whom are web3 Solana natives. In this episode, your host, Niko Vuori, speaks with Nyan Heroes Creative Director & CEO, Max Fu, about the game, how he intends to compete in esports, and how he’s thinking about balancing web2 and web3 elements. Max also unpacks his love for cats and how the Nyan Heroes felines can form the foundation for a major new IP.Check out Nyan Heroes online and in the Epic Games Store. You can find Max Fu on LinkedIn.We’d also like to thank Nefta for making this episode possible. Nefta has created an advertising network that pays game publishers higher eCPMs on their iOS opt-out users and drives better results for advertisers. Learn more about how Nefta can boost your results at http://nefta.io/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 [email protected]. Watch the episode: YouTube ChannelFor more episodes and details: Podcast WebsiteFree newsletter: Naavik DigestFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | WebsiteSound design by Gavin Mc Cabe.

What does it take to stand out and succeed as a games industry entrepreneur these days? And how should smart venture capitalists best identify and work with these best founders? To help answer these questions, host Aaron Bush is joined by David Kaye, serial entrepreneur and general partner of F4 Fund. We discuss why David believes 99% of games studios aren’t fit for venture capital and what makes that top 1% so special. We also cover how early-stage teams, especially in a post-cheap money era, can get scrappy, think about distribution cleverly, and unlock early forms of competitive advantage. Plus, alongside discussing the state of gaming venture capital at large, we also dig into what David sees as underrated and how that’s reflected in the way F4 builds its portfolio. Buckle in for a thought-provoking conversation.If you’re interested in learning more from David, make sure to subscribe to his newsletter: https://blog.davidkaye.co/ We’d also like to thank Overwolf for making this episode possible! Whether you're a gamer, creator, or game studio, Overwolf is the ultimate destination for integrating UGC in games! You can check out all Overwolf has to offer at https://www.overwolf.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 [email protected]’s On:Guest - David Kaye, General Partner, F4 Fund: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidkaye/ Host - Aaron Bush: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaron-bush-846b8185/ Watch the episode: YouTube ChannelFor more episodes and details: Podcast WebsiteFree newsletter: Naavik DigestFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | WebsiteSound design by Gavin Mc Cabe.

Epic Games paid $320 million to over 25,000 creators in the last 12 months and during that time saw UGC content capture a whopping 35% of total Fortnite engagement. That means there are over 1 million players engaging in UGC content on Fortnite during peak hours. With other top franchises like GTA and The Sims currently working to build out their own UGC platforms in time for planned launches in the next couple years, it’s the perfect time to look back at how and why the biggest video game franchise of our time decided to go all in on UGC. Our host, David Taylor, sat down with Zak Phelps, the former Senior Director of Product Design on Fortnite Creative, along with Michael Ha (AKA Birdo), the creator of Minigame Box PVP, a top 10 Fortnite Creative experience. The crew covers the origin story of Fortnite Creative, the early days of building a leading UGC platform, and what it’s like building on Fortnite Creative five-years into its existence. Special thanks to Creators Corp for suggesting Naavik connect with these two great Fortnite minds. This episode is brought to you by CleverTap Gaming, the all-in-one platform for creating personalized player experiences. Visit https://clevertap.com/gaming/ for more details. 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 [email protected]. Watch the episode: YouTube ChannelFor more episodes and details: Podcast WebsiteFree newsletter: Naavik DigestFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | WebsiteSound design by Gavin Mc Cabe.

TikTok is undeniably changing the game for game developers and creating a new marketing and distribution playbook across mobile, console, and PC. In this discussion, Alexandra Takei, Director at Ruckus Games, speaks with Assaf Sagy, Head of Global Gaming at TikTok, and Rema Vasan, Head of Global Gaming Marketing at TikTok, about the impact TikTok has on consumer behavior. We discuss why TikTok has set up a vertically integrated business focusing solely on gaming, and our discussion covers the essential elements of TikTok's value proposition, including discovery, cultural relevance, and performance, TikTok's position in the gaming distribution stack, and how developers should create content, foster community, and promote culture to create successful games. We also share brand-new stats and success stories of developers on the TikTok platform! As Matej Lancaric rightly said in a prior Naavik Digest newsletter piece, "Above all, don't underestimate the power of TikTok."Big thanks to GRID for making this episode possible. GRID is a game data platform providing esports data infrastructure, analytics, and distribution solutions to leading game publishers including Riot Games, Ubisoft, and KRAFTON. If you're a fan, developer, or entrepreneur with an idea for a live data-powered project, make sure to apply for GRID Open Access, get free access to official data, and start creating today! To learn more, visit https://grid.gg/?utm_source=naavik.co&utm_medium=media&utm_campaign=Naavik.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 [email protected]. Watch the episode: YouTube ChannelFor more episodes and details: Podcast WebsiteFree newsletter: Naavik DigestFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | WebsiteSound design by Gavin Mc Cabe.

In the ever-evolving world of gaming, understanding and managing player interactions through technology is becoming increasingly critical. Host Devin Becker sits down with Solomon-Ruiz Lichter, Senior Director of Global Gaming at CleverTap, to delve into segmenting players, crafting personalized offers, and fostering a more engaging gaming environment. We explore the importance of live ops in maintaining a dynamic relationship with players and discuss the future of this practice, emphasizing the potential for AI and machine learning to revolutionize the way developers understand and improve player interactions. Solomon shares insights on customizing offers for various player types, including 'whales', and strategies for converting non-spenders into spenders through targeted, personalized approaches. We also dig into the integration of AI and ML in live ops content creation, highlighting how these technologies can enhance productivity and tailor content more closely to player preferences. The potential for user-generated content (UGC) in shaping the gaming landscape is also discussed, alongside strategies for balancing the retention of long-term players with the acquisition of new ones. This episode promises a thorough exploration of how cutting-edge technology and strategic management can together sculpt the future of gaming.We’d also like to thank Nexus for making this episode possible! Nexus’s creator program in-a-box makes it easy for game devs to build and manage a world-class creator program, driving significant growth in conversion, ARPPU, retention, and LTV. To learn more, go to http://nexus.gg/naavikIf 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 [email protected]. Watch the episode: YouTube ChannelFor more episodes and details: Podcast WebsiteFree newsletter: Naavik DigestFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | WebsiteSound design by Gavin Mc Cabe.

There’s no shortage of conversation around how new technologies are changing the way games are made, but that technological change doesn’t end there. New platforms are also contending for player attention, and where and how games are distributed is all destined to evolve, likely in bigger ways than most people think. We all know about Roblox and UEFN, but what about Discord, ChatGPT, and whatever new AI-focused consumer platforms may emerge? Could other large social and messaging platforms make a gaming comeback? Could new devices actually grow the games industry over the next decade?To help unpack these big questions, host Aaron Bush is joined by Sebastian Park, co-founder of Infinite Canvas. Infinite Canvas was not only early to building on Roblox, but has been at the bleeding edge of experimenting with making games on platforms like Discord and ChatGPT. Sebastian shares his views on these emerging platforms, how design implications change with varying technology and incentive models, how advertising may evolve with AI, where he’s seeing success today, and more. This is a fascinating, wide-ranging conversation you won’t want to miss.We’d also like to thank Nexus for making this episode possible! Nexus’s creator program in-a-box makes it easy for game devs to build and manage a world-class creator program, driving significant growth in conversion, ARPPU, retention, and LTV. To learn more, go to http://nexus.gg/naavikIf 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 [email protected]’s On:Guest - Sebastian Park: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sebastianpark/ Host - Aaron Bush: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaron-bush-846b8185/ Watch the episode: YouTube ChannelFor more episodes and details: Podcast WebsiteFree newsletter: Naavik DigestFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | WebsiteSound design by Gavin Mc Cabe.

Guild of Guardians, Immutable’s second major game after Gods Unchained, is one of the most anticipated web3 games of 2024. The game recently pivoted from a real-time RPG to an auto-battler, and is set for a May 15th global release. Guild of Guardians is one of the first games on Immutable’s new ZK-EVM blockchain, which Naavik covered in the January 24, 2024 episode of the podcast with Immutable founder, Robbie Ferguson. In the second half of the episode your host, Niko Vuori, and Naavik’s own web3 analyst, Devin Becker, spend some time reflecting on the state of web3 gaming now that a fresh crypto bull run is well underway. What does that mean for web3 games? Has the industry learned any lessons from the 2021-2022 rise and fall? Or is it all just tulip mania all over again? Check out Devin’s piece on Guild of Guardians at https://naavik.co/digest-updating-web3-2024/ and Niko’s interview with Immutable founder Robbie Ferguson at https://naavik.co/immutables-web3-roadmap-for-2024.We’d also like to thank Nefta for making this episode possible. Nefta has created an advertising network that pays game publishers higher eCPMs on their iOS opt-out users and drives better results for advertisers. Learn more about how Nefta can boost your results at http://nefta.io/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 [email protected]. 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 week's Roundtable, the squad takes a deep dive into the unique atmosphere of this year's Game Developers Conference (GDC), marked by a spirit of camaraderie and innovation amidst widespread industry layoffs. We then pivot to discuss the monumental acquisition of data.ai by Sensor Tower, setting the stage for what could become the definitive source of mobile app data. The conversation heats up as we explore Epic Games' showcase of Unreal Engine, UEFN, and the bombshell announcement of a mobile Epic Store set to launch by year's end. We shift gears to dissect the U.S. Department of Justice's sweeping lawsuit against Apple, examining the broader implications of the case beyond the specific policies contested by Epic, and reflecting on the growing global backlash against Apple's business practices. Lastly, we delve into a revealing survey from Mistplay, which predicts a downturn in mobile spending by high-value users. Join us for all the latest games business news with Aaron Bush, Dave Elton, and host Devin Becker.We’d like to thank RallyHere for making this episode possible. RallyHere is a proven gaming backend platform and service made specifically for cross-platform live-service games. RallyHere is your one-stop-shop to streamline your development processes, increase speed to market, and optimize your post-launch live services. To learn more or schedule a demo, visit rallyhere.gg 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 [email protected]. Watch the episode: YouTube ChannelFor more episodes and details: Podcast WebsiteFree newsletter: Naavik DigestFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | WebsiteSound design by Gavin Mc Cabe.

Finding success on Roblox can be very challenging. There are over 20 million experiences created every year, and the play patterns are quite different from their more traditional mobile and console counterparts. That’s why UGC games analyst, David Taylor, sat down with Xiang Shen, the CTO of Century Games, a top 20 mobile publisher and the creators for the recent breakout hit Whiteout Survival, which drew in $500 million in in-app purchases over the past year according to recent estimates.What makes Century Games particularly unique is the company's willingness to experiment with new platforms such as Roblox. Century Games has two successful Roblox experiences — Livetopia and MetLife — that the team launched from scratch over the last few years. Given the growth of the UGC games industry, traditional developers are increasingly asking the question: should we build a Roblox game? In this episode, we’ll explore how Century Games found success on Roblox and how this fits into its broader strategy as a successful mobile developer.This episode is brought to you by Overwolf, the all-in-one platform for creating, sharing and monetizing in-game apps and mods.. Visit overwolf.com for more details. 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 [email protected]. Watch the episode: YouTube ChannelFor more episodes and details: Podcast WebsiteFree newsletter: Naavik DigestFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | WebsiteSound design by Gavin Mc Cabe.

After the meteoric rise - and equally meteoric fall - of Axie Infinity, the term “Play-to-Earn” lost much of its cachet, and web3 developers avoided the term throughout the 2022-23 crypto winter. Adjacent concepts such as “Play-and-Earn” or “Play-to-Own” proliferated instead while developers and investors largely ignored the genre, and P2E was effectively declared dead.But not all developers felt this way. Through the crypto winter, Pixels.xyz continued to believe in their thesis, that if done thoughtfully and methodically, P2E can be sustainable. Now, almost 3 years after they started building their social farming sim, Pixels.xyz has hit 500,000 Daily Active Users with over 80,000 concurrent players during events, has announced a partnership with Yield Guild Games and is about to introduce the biggest overhaul of the guilds concept in any web3 game.In this episode your host, Niko Vuori, talks with Luke Barwikowski, Founder, CEO & CTO of Pixels.xyz, and dives into how it quietly grew into one of the biggest web3 games by player count after migrating to Ronin, why Luke believes P2E can be sustainable, what utility the $PIXEL token provides players, and more.To learn more, visit https://pixels.xyz. You can find Luke Barwikoski on LinkedIn.Big thanks to GRID for making this episode possible. GRID is a game data platform providing esports data infrastructure, analytics, and distribution solutions to leading game publishers including Riot Games, Ubisoft, and KRAFTON. If you're a fan, developer, or entrepreneur with an idea for a live data-powered project, make sure to apply for GRID Open Access, get free access to official data, and start creating today! To learn more, visit https://grid.gg/?utm_source=naavik.co&utm_medium=media&utm_campaign=Naavik 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 [email protected]. 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 week's Roundtable, the squad dives into the exciting news of a greenlit sequel to the Super Mario Brothers movie, with production once again helmed by Illumination. We speculate on the potential for spinoffs and the broader implications for video game adaptations. The conversation then shifts to Microsoft's landmark recognition of Activision Blizzard's 600-person union, which focuses on quality assurance employees, sparking a debate on whether this will pave the way for more unions across the gaming industry. We also dissect the implications of the EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA) coming into effect, Apple's aggressive moves, and what this means for the future of app distribution. Lastly, we delve into Mattel's newly announced co-development deal, spurred by the recent success of the Barbie movie, that pushes the company deeper into mobile game development. We end by pondering whether this marks a new trend for toy companies leveraging their IP in the digital gaming space. Join us for all the latest games business news with Tammy Levy, Dave Elton, and host Devin Becker.If you’d like to speak with Naavik at GDC use this form to let us know! https://9r0y051mvrx.typeform.com/to/hRCVP7VNWe’d also like to thank Nefta for making this episode possible. Nefta has created an advertising network that pays game publishers higher eCPMs on their iOS opt-out users and drives better results for advertisers. Learn more about how Nefta can boost your results at http://nefta.io/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 [email protected]. Watch the episode: YouTube ChannelFor more episodes and details: Podcast WebsiteFree newsletter: Naavik DigestFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | WebsiteSound design by Gavin Mc Cabe.

RallyHere builds on the back of years of experience in Live Service, before the term was even coined, as Hi-Rez Studios under the leadership of CEO Stewart Chisam. RallyHere bottles this expertise into a toolset that can provide a huge edge for teams that want to leverage the power of live services in games. Hi-Rez Studios is behind many popular and long running live service games like Smite, Paladins, Tribes: Ascend, Rogue Company, Realm Royale. Not only is the expertise of Hi-Rez baked in, but Hi-Rez themselves use the service, ensuring it consistently delivers. What exactly does “live service” mean, why is it so hard to pull off, and why is it suddenly a hot topic? Join your host Devin Becker as he digs into these questions and more with Stewart Chisam.This episode is brought to you by CleverTap Gaming, the all-in-one platform for creating personalized player experiences. Visit https://clevertap.com/gaming/ for more details. 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 [email protected]. Watch the episode: YouTube ChannelFor more episodes and details: Podcast WebsiteFree newsletter: Naavik DigestFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | WebsiteSound design by Gavin Mc Cabe.

GRID has seen the value of data in esports since 2018 thanks to Founder and CEO Moritz Maurer's direct experience in the scene. Working directly with game developers, GRID is able to surface unmatched competitive game data from some of the biggest games like League of Legends, DotA 2, Valorant, PUBG, and Rainbow 6: Siege. GRID is leveling up the understanding of competitive player and match data for players, teams, esports organizations, and even the game developers themselves. With its Open Access initiative, GRID is democratizing data access to help improve the esports landscape for everyone. Join your host Devin Becker as he explores the present and future of esports infrastructure with Moritz Maurer.We’d also like to thank Windwalk for making this episode possible! Windwalk builds digital communities and the technologies necessary to accelerate them through their flagship software, Harbor. To learn more, simply head to https://www.harbor.gg/ And if you’d like to meet GRID at GDC, head on down to booth S568 or visit their website.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 [email protected]. Watch the episode: YouTube ChannelFor more episodes and details: Podcast WebsiteFree newsletter: Naavik DigestFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | WebsiteSound design by Gavin Mc Cabe.

Neopets has always been a metaverse, says Dominic Law, CEO of The World of Neopia. If you were born prior to the 2000s, you’ll remember how much Neopets took the internet world by storm. By 2011, Neopets had 35M unique users, amassed 1 trillion page views, and was responsible for compelling an entire generation of children to internet proficiency and adoption. Not only that, but Neopets was free to play (before free to play), UGC (before UGC), web3-esque (before the blockchain), and a product placement paradise containing immersive ads all the way back in 2005. The rise and fall (and hopeful rise again) of Neopets contains a treasure trove of knowledge around community management, social gaming adoption, digital identity, user generated content, and the life cycle of products and businesses. As Neopets approaches its 25 Year Anniversary, join your host, Alexandra Takei, Director at Ruckus Games, as she speaks with Dominic about the parallels between Neopets and Roblox today, the history of multiple management teams over the course 25 years, and what Neopets is doing to rebuild a long lost IP. We’d also like to thank Nexus for making this episode possible! Nexus’s creator program in-a-box makes it easy for game devs to build and manage a world-class creator program, driving significant growth in conversion, ARPPU, retention, and LTV. To learn more, go to http://nexus.gg/naavik 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 [email protected]. 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 week's Roundtable, the squad unpacks the seismic impact of Nintendo's legal victory, securing a $2.4M settlement against the Switch emulator Yuzu, a move that has dramatically reshaped the emulation landscape. We then pivot to Netflix's strategic foray into gaming, spotlighting its latest coup in bringing the critically acclaimed indie darling Hades to mobile platforms, signaling a deeper commitment to integrating premium gaming into its ecosystem. The conversation shifts to the ever-evolving acquisitions landscape, including the recent sales of Saber Interactive's and Jagex, which hints at private equity's growing role in the gaming industry's future. Amid the flurry of industry upheavals, we also take a moment to shine a light on the positive trends and standout successes that have emerged early in 2024, offering a counter-narrative to the often gloomy industry headlines. Join us for all the latest games business news with Aaron Bush, Anil Das-Gupta, and host Devin Becker.If you’d like to speak with Naavik at GDC, please use this form to let us know! https://9r0y051mvrx.typeform.com/to/hRCVP7VNWe’d also like to thank Lightspeed Venture Partners for making this episode possible! With its dedicated gaming practice, "Lightspeed Gaming," the firm is investing from over $7B in early- and growth-stage capital — the by far largest fund focused on gaming and interactive technology. If you’re interested in learning more, go to https://gaming.lsvp.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 [email protected]. Watch the episode: YouTube ChannelFor more episodes and details: Podcast WebsiteFree newsletter: Naavik DigestFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | WebsiteSound design by Gavin Mc Cabe.

Studio369 is preparing to launch MetalCore, an open world player-versus-player mech combat game that combines the engagement of high-quality traditional gaming with true asset ownership via web3.It has been in the works for about three years, with the game expected to hit a closed beta by the end of March and an open beta test by May 2024. It’s being built by a team of experienced developers familiar with the mech combat genre from LucasFilm, Disney, and Activision, among others.In this episode your host, Niko Vuori, dives into how MetalCore is integrating NFTs and digital ownership into the mech combat genre, what utility the $MCG fungible token will provide players, what it's like to build on Immutable, and more.To get your key for Phase 2 of the closed beta, visit https://metalcore.gg. You can find Dan Nikolaides on LinkedIn.Also, big thanks to ZEBEDEE for making this episode possible! ZEBEDEE provides a plug-and-play API and SDK for seamless integration of instant, borderless, and low-fee payments using the Bitcoin Lightning Network. Want to better engage and monetize your global user base? Start for free at https://zebedee.io/ 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 [email protected]. Watch the episode: YouTube ChannelFor more episodes and details: Podcast WebsiteFree newsletter: Naavik DigestFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | WebsiteSound design by Gavin Mc Cabe.

The games industry can no longer ignore the MENA region, encompassing markets like Israel, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, and more. With approximately 800 million people, a young and growing audience of gamers, expanding wealth, rising ARPUs, and emerging talent, it’s abundantly clear that MENA will be much more important to the games industry’s future than it was in the past.To tell us more about what’s going on here, host Aaron Bush sat down with David Fernandez, CEO of Sandsoft Games. We dig into emerging trends in MENA, how global teams can maximize their success in the region, how better developing talent could change the entrepreneurial landscape, and how Sandsoft is positioning itself to become a Saudi-based global leader as a publisher and developer.We’d also like to thank Overwolf for making this episode possible! Whether you're a gamer, creator, or game studio, Overwolf is the ultimate destination for integrating UGC in games! You can check out all Overwolf has to offer at https://www.overwolf.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 [email protected]’s On:Guest - David Fernandez: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dremesal/ Host - Aaron Bush: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaron-bush-846b8185/ Watch the episode: YouTube ChannelFor more episodes and details: Podcast WebsiteFree newsletter: Naavik DigestFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | WebsiteSound design by Gavin Mc Cabe.