Naavik Gaming Podcast

In this Crypto Corner episode, BITKRAFT Crypto Team members Carlos Pereira and Jamie Wallace join your host Nico Vereecke to discuss#1 A Ronin Exploit Update#2 Different Business Models in Web3 Gaming#3 The Future of Web3 Gaming Economies#4 Fun and Work in the MetaverseYouTube video: Available hereEpisode Summary hereIf you would like us to discuss any other blockchain gaming-related topics, do reach out at [email protected]. We’d love to hear your general thoughts and feedback too! And as always, if you like the episode, you can help others find us by leaving a rating or review! Join the discussion: DiscordRead more: NewsletterWatch more: YouTubeFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | Facebook | WebsiteSound design by Gavin Mc Gabe.

In this Metacast episode, Aaron Bush and Thomas Baker, join your host Maria Gillies to discuss: #1 Naavik Pro Deconstruction: How did Garena’s Free Fire succeed in the red ocean market of battle royale games? How can you sell player power without making the game pay to win? How can tech debt impact your game’s revenue?#2 Mobile Game Earnings - Q1 2022: Sensor Tower reported that mobile game earnings were down 7% during Q1 2022. Should mobile game developers prepare for doom and gloom?#3 Bloodborne Kart: Lilith Walther — creator of the popular Bloodborne PSX demake — announced her new fan project: Bloodborne Kart. Could game mods become popular across gaming platforms?Key Resources: Episode summary | YouTube videoIf you would like us to discuss any other gaming-related topics, do reach out at [email protected]. We’d love to hear your general thoughts and feedback too! And as always, if you like the episode, you can help others find us by leaving a rating or review! Join the discussion: DiscordRead more: NewsletterWatch more: YouTubeGo premium: Naavik Premium ResearchFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | Facebook | WebsiteSound design by Gavin Mc Cabe.

In this Crypto Corner episode, Lars Doucet, Anil Das-Gupta and Chong Ahn join your host Nico Vereecke to talk about the Recent Ronin exploit and what it means for the future of Axie Infinity. We discuss;#1 What a blockchain bridge is#2 The details of the Ronin Hack#3 What will happen next#4 The new Axie game#5 The future of Axie InfinityYouTube video: Available hereEpisode Summary hereIf you would like us to discuss any other blockchain gaming-related topics, do reach out at [email protected]. We’d love to hear your general thoughts and feedback too! And as always, if you like the episode, you can help others find us by leaving a rating or review! Join the discussion: DiscordRead more: NewsletterWatch more: YouTubeFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | Facebook | WebsiteSound design by Gavin Mc Gabe.

In this Metacast episode, Anil Das-Gupta, Aaron Bush and Chong Ahn, join your host Maria Gillies to discuss: #1 Axie Infinity’s Ronin Sidechain Hack: How could the hack help shape the team structure and tech stack of web3 game studios? What does the hack mean for Sky Mavis’ future? Nico will be hosting a technical deep dive into Ronin’s hack in the next Crypto Corner episode.#2 Deep Dive - New PlayStation Plus Subscriptions: What are the new PlayStation Plus subscription tiers? Does their subscription model compete with Xbox Game Pass? Whose strategy could win the long game - PlayStation or Xbox?#3 Miniclip Exceeds 4 Billion Downloads: We celebrate this major achievement and discuss how Miniclip influenced current game genres and people who now develop games. How did Miniclip build such a long lasting, influential game company?Key Resources: Episode summary | YouTube videoIf you would like us to discuss any other gaming-related topics, do reach out at [email protected]. We’d love to hear your general thoughts and feedback too! And as always, if you like the episode, you can help others find us by leaving a rating or review! Join the discussion: DiscordRead more: NewsletterWatch more: YouTubeGo premium: Naavik Premium ResearchFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | Facebook | WebsiteSound design by Gavin Mc Cabe.

In this Crypto Corner episode, Will Brooke, Gaming Lead at OpenSea, and Seb Park, Co-Founder at Infinite Canvas, join your host Nico Vereecke to talk about:#1 OpenSea#2 Gaming NFTs#3 The Future of Web3 Monetization#4 Blockchain Gaming at GDCKey Resources: YouTube videoIf you would like us to discuss any other blockchain gaming-related topics, do reach out at [email protected]. We’d love to hear your general thoughts and feedback too! And as always, if you like the episode, you can help others find us by leaving a rating or review! Join the discussion: DiscordRead more: NewsletterWatch more: YouTubeGo premium: Naavik Premium ResearchFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | Facebook | WebsiteSound design by Gavin Mc Gabe.

In this Metacast episode, Nicolas Vereecke, David Amor and Fawzi Itani, join your host Maria Gillies to discuss: #1 What We Learned at GDC 2022: Special episode dedicated to our learnings from GDC 2022. We talk about our individual experiences and what we learned based on our different game industry roles; and whether attending GDC is worth the investment.Key Resources: Episode summary | YouTube videoIf you would like us to discuss any other gaming-related topics, do reach out at [email protected]. We’d love to hear your general thoughts and feedback too! And as always, if you like the episode, you can help others find us by leaving a rating or review! Join the discussion: DiscordRead more: NewsletterWatch more: YouTubeGo premium: Naavik Premium ResearchFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | Facebook | WebsiteSound design by Gavin Mc Cabe.

In this Crypto Corner episode, Swagtimus and Yoni, the pseudonymous builders behind MatchboxDAO join your host Nico Vereecke to take a deep dive in:#1 Zero-Knowledge Proofs#2 The Advantages ZK Rollups bring to gaming#3 The Disadvantages of ZK Rollups#4 The Most Exciting Matchbox ProjectsKey Resources: Episode summary | YouTube videoIf you would like us to discuss any other blockchain gaming-related topics, do reach out at [email protected]. We’d love to hear your general thoughts and feedback too! And as always, if you like the episode, you can help others find us by leaving a rating or review! Join the discussion: DiscordRead more: NewsletterWatch more: YouTubeGo premium: Naavik Premium ResearchFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | Facebook | WebsiteSound design by Gavin Mc Gabe.

In this Metacast episode, Aaron Bush, Anil Das-Gupta and Matt Dion join your host Maria Gillies to discuss: #1 Thatgamecompany’s 160M USD Investment: Could the investment scale the company to explore games that are emotional experiences across mediums? Will we see more games developed as art? Do companies need to tackle artistic versus revenue-focused projects differently?#2 EA’s Lootbox Fine Overturned: How can companies keep up and adapt their games to the individual regulations of each country? Could the legal decision have been different if it were a crypto game?#3 Ukraine and the Games Industry: We discuss how games exiting from Russia could affect the global games industry and we hope that everyone in Ukraine can find safety and peace.Key Resources: Episode summary | YouTube videoIf you would like us to discuss any other gaming-related topics, do reach out at [email protected]. We’d love to hear your general thoughts and feedback too! And as always, if you like the episode, you can help others find us by leaving a rating or review! Join the discussion: DiscordRead more: NewsletterWatch more: YouTubeGo premium: Naavik Premium ResearchFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | Facebook | WebsiteSound design by Gavin Mc Cabe.

In this Crypto Corner episode, Michael Sanders, Co-Founder and Chief Storyteller at Horizon Blockchain Games, joins your host Nico Vereecke to discuss #1 What Blockchain brings to Gaming#2 The next generation of Blockchain Gaming wallets with Sequence#3 Blockchain Trading Card Games with Skyweaver#4 The future of GamingYouTube video: Available hereEpisode Summary hereIf you would like us to discuss any other blockchain gaming-related topics, do reach out at [email protected]. We’d love to hear your general thoughts and feedback too! And as always, if you like the episode, you can help others find us by leaving a rating or review! Join the discussion: DiscordRead more: NewsletterWatch more: YouTubeFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | Facebook | WebsiteSound design by Gavin Mc Gabe.

In this Metacast episode, David Amor, Abhimanyu Kumar and Matt Dion join your host Maria Gillies to discuss: #1 Realistic Characters for Virtual Worlds: Inworld AI raised 10M USD to create “brains for virtual characters in immersive realities”. Why are realistic characters important for virtual worlds? Could third party AI solutions lower game development costs? What other AI applications could we see in games?#2 Genshin Impact’s User Generated Content: Why is HoYoverse developing UGC content for Genshin Impact? Is this a signal of what’s to come next in their “virtual world of immersive entertainment”? Could we see more games adopt UGC features?#3 Four-Day Work Weeks: Can game studios, notorious for crunch, widely adopt 4-day work weeks? What could be the pros and cons of this benefit?Key Resources: Episode summary | YouTube videoIf you would like us to discuss any other gaming-related topics, do reach out at [email protected]. We’d love to hear your general thoughts and feedback too! And as always, if you like the episode, you can help others find us by leaving a rating or review! Join the discussion: DiscordRead more: NewsletterWatch more: YouTubeGo premium: Naavik Premium ResearchFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | Facebook | WebsiteSound design by Gavin Mc Cabe.

In this Crypto Corner episode, Robby Yung, CEO at Animoca Brands, joins your host Nico Vereecke to discuss:#1: What Animoca Brands is#2: The biggest advantages of Blockchain in games#3: The future of Blockchain Gaming#4: Animoca’s strategy & value proposition#5: InteroperabilityKey Resources: Episode summary | YouTube videoIf you would like us to discuss any other blockchain gaming-related topics, do reach out at [email protected]. We’d love to hear your general thoughts and feedback too! And as always, if you like the episode, you can help others find us by leaving a rating or review! Join the discussion: DiscordRead more: NewsletterWatch more: YouTubeGo premium: Naavik Premium ResearchFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | Facebook | WebsiteSound design by Gavin Mc Gabe.

In this Metacast episode, Aaron Bush and Fawzi Itani join your host Maria Gillies to discuss: #1 Evolution of Digital Game Sales: Will digital games overtake physical copies, and are digital sales a long-term strategy for console developers?#2 Playtika’s 2022 Strategy: Playtika went public in January 2021 and they recently announced they’re considering a sale of the company. We discuss the possible ‘whys’ behind the decision based on their 2021 earnings and game portfolio.#3 Steam Deck’s Release: We discuss whether Steam Deck – a handheld gaming PC - could become a success based on early product reviews, Valve’s addressable market and handheld competitors.Key Resources: Episode summary | YouTube videoIf you would like us to discuss any other gaming-related topics, do reach out at [email protected]. We’d love to hear your general thoughts and feedback too! And as always, if you like the episode, you can help others find us by leaving a rating or review! Join the discussion: DiscordRead more: NewsletterWatch more: YouTubeFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | Facebook | WebsiteSound design by Gavin Mc Gabe.

In this Crypto Corner episode, Nico Vereecke, Devin Becker and Ethan Levy join your host Maria Gillies to get back to basics on Crypto Games. We discuss:Web3 vs Crypto Games vs Blockchain GamesDifferent types of Crypto Integration in GamesDifferent types of Blockchains, Layer 1s and Layer 2sFungibilityComposabilityGovernance Tokens vs Utility Tokens vs NFTsStakingYouTube video: Available here.If you would like us to discuss any other blockchain gaming-related topics, do reach out at [email protected]. We’d love to hear your general thoughts and feedback too! And as always, if you like the episode, you can help others find us by leaving a rating or review! Join the discussion: DiscordRead more: NewsletterWatch more: YouTubeFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | Facebook | WebsiteSound design by Gavin Mc Gabe.

In this Metacast episode, Matt Dion and Sebastian Park join your host Maria Gillies to discuss: #1 How to Prioritize New Game Ideas: You have a list of new game ideas but you’re not sure which one to pursue first? We discuss how to prioritize them and whether finding the perfect idea is required before getting started.#2 Costs of Buggy Game Launches: We share our opinions about how buggy game launches could affect player purchasing behavior, and if there’s a line to be drawn between perfection and game launch. Based on Rob Fahey’s opinion article.#3 YouTube’s NFTs: We talk about how this feature could affect the future of content creation from a game’s perspective.Episode summary available here.YouTube video available here.If you would like us to discuss any other gaming-related topics, do reach out at [email protected]. We’d love to hear your general thoughts and feedback too. And as always, if you like the episode, you can help others find us by leaving a rating or review! Join the discussion: DiscordRead more: NewsletterWatch more: YouTubeFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | Facebook | WebsiteSound design by Gavin Mc Gabe.

In this Crypto Corner episode, Nicholas ‘Captain Kix’ Kneuper - co-founder of Crypto Raiders - and Naavik collaborator Devin Becker join your host Nico to take a deep dive into Crypto Raiders.Crypto Raiders is a pixel dungeon crawler game, RPG, & ecosystem with gamified DeFi elements utilizing tokens & NFTs. The game is built on the Polygon Network. In Crypto Raiders, players use NFT characters to loot dungeons, defeat bosses, and earn tokens.YouTube video: Available here.If you would like us to discuss any other blockchain gaming-related topics, do reach out at [email protected]. We’d love to hear your general thoughts and feedback too! And as always, if you like the episode, you can help others find us by leaving a rating or review! Join the discussion: DiscordRead more: NewsletterWatch more: YouTubeFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | Facebook | WebsiteSound design by Gavin Mc Gabe.

In this Metacast episode, Anton Gorodetsky, David Amor and Yonatan Raz-Fridman join your host Maria Gillies to discuss - #1 Roblox Results: Roblox reported their Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2021 results. We dive into the reported numbers, discuss Roblox’s strategy and their secret sauce, and what challenges must be solved to keep reaching towards their ambitions.#2 Global Gaming Deals Activity in 2021: We talk about why “2021 proved to be yet another record-smashing year for the Video Games industry” according to InvestGame’s report, and if we’ll continue to see significant investment in blockchain throughout 2022. #3 Nintendo Direct: We briefly share our favorite Nintendo Direct announcements.Episode summary available here. YouTube video available here. If you would like us to discuss any other gaming-related topics, do reach out at [email protected]. We’d love to hear your general thoughts and feedback too! And as always, if you like the episode, you can help others find us by leaving a rating or review! Join the discussion: DiscordRead more: NewsletterFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | Facebook | WebsiteSound design by Gavin Mc Gabe.

In this Metacast Crypto Corner episode, timshel, LordOfaFew and Threepwave, join your host Nico to take a deep dive into how world building happens within the Lootverse. We talk about what the Lootverse is, what makes it special, who decides what ‘Canon’ is in Loot, what it means to build fully on-chain and much more.Full episode summary available here.YouTube video available here.If you would like us to discuss any other blockchain gaming-related topics, do reach out at [email protected]. We’d love to hear your general thoughts and feedback too! And as always, if you like the episode, you can help others find us by leaving a rating or review! Join the discussion: DiscordRead more: NewsletterFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | Facebook | WebsiteSound design by Gavin Mc Gabe.

Episode SummaryIn this Metacast episode, Matej Lancaric, Chong Ahn and Nico Vereecke join your host Maria Gillies to discuss - Network EffectsAnimoca Brands investment strategy has a “rising tide lifts all boats” approach explored in Naavik’s newsletter Master the Meta: https://naavik.co/themetas/animoca-2022We discuss network effects, flywheel effects and if we’ve seen other examples of these strategies applied in games. User Acquisition FundamentalsIf you’re thinking about starting your own games company without having user acquisition experience then this topic may be of interest to you. Matej, Naavik’s in-house UA expert lays out the fundamental principles and best practices in user acquisition. F2P vs Web3 UAOur user acquisition discussion leads us into exploring the similarities and differences between UA for free-to-play and Web3 games. If you would like us to discuss any other gaming-related topics, do reach out at [email protected]. We’d love to hear your general thoughts and feedback too! And as always, if you like the episode, you can help others find us by leaving a rating or review! Join the discussion: DiscordRead more: NewsletterFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | Facebook | Website

Episode SummaryTrading Card Games lend themselves well to Blockchain Technology. Digital Trading cards are an easy concept to grasp, as they are already in-use and reflect characteristics of scarcity similar to their physical counterparts.In this Metacast Crypto Corner episode, Chris Clay - Game Director for Gods Unchained at Immutable and David “Mzo” Becker - Games Commentator & Researcher, join your host Nico to take a deep dive into Blockchain-Based Trading Card Games. They discussThe Current State of Blockchain TCGsGods Unchained & Immutable XHow NFT TCGs release new cardsGods Unchained Token DesignThe Problem of BotsBalancing an NFT TCG EcosystemThe Future of Gods UnchainedIf you would like us to discuss any other blockchain gaming-related topics, do reach out at [email protected]. We’d love to hear your general thoughts and feedback too! And as always, if you like the episode, you can help others find us by leaving a rating or review! Join the discussion: DiscordRead more: NewsletterFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | Facebook | Website

Episode SummaryThis episode of the Roundtable sees Florian Ziegler, Matt Dion, and Maria Gillies joining your host Nico to discuss DAOs and their application in the gaming space, endgame design, and the big news this week on Sony’s acquisition of Bungie.Riffing off Matt’s deep-dive into the nascent landscape of gaming DAOs on Naavik, our guests discuss what DAOs are and how they operate, particularly in the context of games. We then turn our attention to the criticality of endgame design for the overall success of any game, and what strategies and tools can help game developers navigate this challenge. Finally, the episode concludes with keen observations on Bungie’s recent acquisition by Sony.If you would like us to discuss any other gaming-related topics, do reach out at [email protected]. We’d love to hear your general thoughts and feedback too!And as always, if you like the episode, you can help others find us by leaving a rating or review!Join the discussion: DiscordRead more: NewsletterFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | Facebook | Website

Summary herePlay-to-earn Gaming Guilds are Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs) that buy game assets (usually yield-earning NFTs) and loan them out to guild members through scholarships.Because of their size and rapid growth (they often represent tens of thousands of gamers and have $100m+ treasuries), they have a significant impact on how blockchain games are designed and where the industry is going.In this Metacast Crypto Corner episode, Gabby Dizon - Co-Founder @ Yield Guild Games and Matt “MobileMatt” Rutledge - Co-Founder @ BAYZ join your host Nico to take a deep dive into how these guilds work. They discussWhat P2E Gaming Guilds areHow their Tokenomics workHow they choose games to invest inWhat differentiates one guild from anotherGaming Guilds vs esportsThe Future of Gaming & Web3 distributionIf you would like us to discuss any other blockchain gaming-related topics, do reach out at [email protected]. We’d love to hear your general thoughts and feedback too! And as always, if you like the episode, you can help others find us by leaving a rating or review! Join the discussion: DiscordRead more: NewsletterFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | Facebook | Website

Summary hereIn this Metacast episode, Maria Gillies, Jayne Peressini and Aaron Bush join your host Nico to discuss - #1: Naavik’s The Sandbox DeconstructionTL;DR - The Sandbox is currently:- More expensive than you think- Less decentralized than you think- Less censorship-resistant than you thinkYou can find the teaser deconstruction here. And the full deconstruction here! #2: Women in GamesMore diversity within the games industry will lead to better games. We discuss some things organizations can do to foster Diversity, Inclusion, Belonging and Success. #3: What’s Next for Dapper LabsJayne shares more about Dapper Labs’ plans moving forward, and what she has learned from her job as VP of Growth.Key links: Dapper Labs | UFC Strike x Dapper Labs collaboration If you would like us to discuss any other gaming-related topics, do reach out to [email protected]. We’d love to hear your general thoughts and feedback too! And as always, if you like the episode, you can help others find us by leaving a rating or review! Join the discussion: DiscordLearn more: Newsletter or Go PremiumFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | Facebook | Website

Summary hereIn this Metacast Crypto Corner episode, Ryan Foo and Tender join your host Nico to take a deep dive into Crabada, a fully decentralized Play-and-Earn Idle Game on the Avalanche network.Set in an undersea world filled with fierce fighting Hermit-Crabs called Crabada. Players are invited to breed, lend, rent, and battle crabs represented by on-chain NFTs to earn cryptocurrencies with real value. If you would like us to discuss any other blockchain gaming-related topics, do reach out at [email protected]. We’d love to hear your general thoughts and feedback too! And as always, if you like the episode, you can help others find us by leaving a rating or review! Join the discussion: DiscordLearn more: Newsletter or Go PremiumFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | Facebook | Website

In this Metacast episode, Sebastian Park, Miikka Ahonen and David Amor join your host Nicolas Vereecke to discuss - #1: Microsoft buys Activision Blizzard for $68.7BFor context, find the article here. #2: OpenSea Raises $300M at $13.3B ValuationFor context, find the article here. And some other referenced links: OpenSea | Fractal | Coinbase NFT | LooksRare #3: Turkish Studio’s are Raising BigSpecially, we discuss Spyke's and Dream Games' raises. If you would like us to discuss any other gaming-related topics, do reach out at [email protected]. We’d love to hear your general thoughts and feedback too! And as always, if you like the episode, you can help others find us by leaving a rating or review! Join the discussion: DiscordLearn more: Newsletter or Go PremiumFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | Facebook | Website

In this Metacast Crypto Corner episode, Joost van Dreunen, Miko Matsumura and Chong Ahn join your host Nico to talk about what’s going to happen in the Blockchain Gaming world in the year to come. If you would like us to discuss any another blockchain gaming-related topics, do reach out at [email protected]. We’d love to hear your general thoughts and feedback too! And as always, if you like the episode, you can help others find us by leaving a rating or review! Join the discussion: DiscordLearn more: Newsletter or Go PremiumFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | Facebook | Website

In this Metacast episode, Yonatan Raz-Fridman, Devin Becker and Abhimanyu Kumar join your host Nicolas Vereecke to discuss - #1: Take-Two buys Zynga for $12.7BFor context, here is the press release. #2: Is Roblox Exploiting Young Game Developers?We discuss the first and second videos released by People Make Games. And as this week’s bonus segment, we are making bold predictions about M&A in 2022.Other key links referenced in the discussion:EA buys Glu - LinkGTA Online recurring revenue - Link Zynga's experience porting IP to mobile - LinkMax Payne Mobile (I don't think Manyu knew!) - Apple & GoogleTake-Two's purchase of SocialPoint - LinkSupersocial (gotta plug Yon!) - LinkCORE - LinkRobux DevEx FAQ - Link If you would like us to discuss any another gaming-related topics, do reach out at [email protected]. We’d love to hear your general thoughts and feedback too! And as always, if you like the episode, you can help others find us by leaving a rating or review! Join the discussion: DiscordLearn more: Newsletter or Go Premium Follow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | Facebook | Website

Over the past months, we’ve seen a significant backlash from the gaming community when gaming companies announced they were experimenting with NFTs in their games. In this Naavik Metacast Crypto Corner episode, Lars Doucet and Ethan Levy join your host Nico to have an open-minded discussion about whether these concerns are really valid, and what the blockchain gaming community can do to address them. If you would like us to discuss any other blockchain gaming-related topics, do reach out at [email protected]. We’d love to hear your general thoughts and feedback too! And as always, if you like the episode, you can help others find us by leaving a rating or review! Join the discussion: DiscordLearn more: Newsletter or Go PremiumFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | Facebook | Website

For many in the games industry, 2021 was a rollercoaster ride. We saw Roblox going public, Apple’s ATT come into effect, discriminatory practices in the largest game companies come to light, play-to-earn burst onto the scene and so much more.In this special Metacast Roundtable episode, Fawzi Itani, Ryan Foo and Florian Ziegler join your host Nicolas Vereecke to look back at 2021 and share their biggest learnings. If you would like us to discuss any another gaming-related topics, do reach out at [email protected]. We’d love to hear your general thoughts and feedback too! And as always, if you like the episode, you can help others find us by leaving a rating or review! Join the discussion: DiscordLearn more: Newsletter or Go PremiumFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | Facebook | Website

In this Metacast Crypto Corner episode, Khaled Alroumi, Anton Backman and Sebastian Park join your host Nico to take a deep dive into the complexities of Blockchain Games and high level competition + esports.If you would like us to discuss another blockchain gaming-related topic, do reach out at [email protected]. We’d love to hear your general thoughts and feedback too! And as always, if you like the episode, you can help others find us by leaving a rating or review! Join the discussion: DiscordLearn more: Newsletter or Go Premium Follow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | Facebook | Website

In this Metacast episode, Chong Ahn, David Amor and Florian Ziegler join your host Nicolas Vereecke to discuss; #1: The Rise of Blockchain Gaming Ecosystem FundsAll over the Crypto Gaming space, blockchains are partnering up with Venture Capital funds to create Blockchain Gaming Ecosystem funds. The goal of these funds is to support games teams to build on these respective blockchains. This is a solid strategy to kickstart network effects, but we are wary of these ecosystems becoming too closed off from the rest of the Blockchain Gaming world. #2: Rec Room Raises $145MRec Room, the social gaming and UGC platform, has seen 450% MAU growth over the past year, which explains the valuation of $3.5b only nine months after raising $100m at a $1.25b valuation. The company is on a strong growth trajectory, and will now need to focus on providing great experiences and tools for its creators to sustain it. #3: Amazon Prime Gaming Partners with Blankos Block Party to give NFTs to its SubscribersAfter linking their account, subscribers of Amazon Prime Gaming were able to receive a free Blankos Block Party NFT to play with on the Blankos platform. Chong, VP of Product at Mythical Games, walks us through the rationale behind the partnership, and its results. As this week’s bonus segment, we are predicting the major topics in the games industry for 2022. If you would like us to discuss any another gaming-related topics, do reach out at [email protected]. We’d love to hear your general thoughts and feedback too! And as always, if you like the episode, you can help others find us by leaving a rating or review! Join the discussion: DiscordLearn more: Newsletter or Go Premium Follow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | Facebook | Website

In this Metacast Crypto Corner episode, Derek Lau and LordOfAFew join your host Nico to take a deep dive into how we’ll scale Blockchain Games.If you would like us to discuss another blockchain gaming-related topic, do reach out at [email protected]. We’d love to hear your general thoughts and feedback too! And as always, if you like the episode, you can help others find us by leaving a rating or review! Join the discussion: DiscordLearn more: Newsletter or Go Premium Follow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | Facebook | Website

In this Metacast episode, Aaron Bush, Yonatan Raz-Fridman and Miikka Ahonen join your host Nicolas Vereecke to discuss; #1: PlayStation SpartacusSony is (allegedly) planning a new subscription service to compete with Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass. The service will allow PlayStation owners to pay a monthly fee for access to a catalog of modern and classic games.Launch expected in spring, the service will merge Sony’s two existing subscription plans, PlayStation Plus and PlayStation Now. #2: Tencent to Increase Supercell StakeSupercell has seen revenue fall nearly every year since Tencent’s acquisition of a majority stake in 2016. The Information now reports that the Chinese internet giant is to boost that stake in Supercell at a valuation of roughly 11b. This is 10% higher than the valuation in 2016.It will do that by buying some of the shares held by the partners that bought in back in 2016. Note - our recording happened minutes before this went live. #3: The Game AwardsThe Game Awards is an award show honoring the best video games of the year. It was held in LA on Thursday last week, and was live streamed globally. I Takes Two won Game Of The Year, but we feel that the awards are very niche and too focused on AAA console/PC games. Aaron now plans to launch the Naavik Games Industry Awards Show. And as this week’s bonus segment, we are predicting what will be the most successful game of 2022. If you would like us to discuss any another gaming-related topics, do reach out at [email protected]. We’d love to hear your general thoughts and feedback too! And as always, if you like the episode, you can help others find us by leaving a rating or review! Join the discussion: DiscordLearn more: Newsletter or Go Premium Follow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | Facebook | Website

In this Metacast Crypto Corner episode, your host Nico is joined by Ryan Foo and Oweh Soh to take a deep dive into the Wolf Game phenomenon. If you would like us to discuss another blockchain gaming-related topic, do reach out at [email protected]. We’d love to hear your general thoughts and feedback too! And as always, if you like the episode, you can help others find us by leaving a rating or review! Join the discussion: DiscordLearn more: Newsletter or Go Premium Follow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | Facebook | Website

What is a MMOCG or Massively Multiplayer On-Chain Game? How does it work? What can we do with it? Is this going to be a thing?Find out this and more in this week’s roundtable!In this Metacast episode, Florian Ziegler, David Amor and Matej Lancaric are joined by your host Nicolas Vereecke to discuss; Massively Multiplayer On-Chain GamesMMOCGs are games that are both Open-Source and Open-State. The whole game lives completely on the blockchain, which has some profound and interesting consequences. Ubisoft takes a first step into NFTsUbisoft announced the first implementation of blockchain technology into one of its games with the addition of NFTs to the PC version of Ghost Recon Breakpoint. The response was overwhelmingly negative, and the company removed the announcement video from YouTube. The move feels like a conservative experiment into NFTs, and we can only applaud Ubisoft for being the first AAA publisher to do it. Moon Active raises $300m at a $5b valuationMoon Active, the maker of Coin Master, is killing it. The company is not afraid to experiment with different types of games, and it’s paying off. We’re curious to see what they’ll do with this war chest! As this week’s bonus segment, we are giving bold predictions about Ubisoft. If you would like us to discuss any another gaming-related topics, do reach out at [email protected]. We’d love to hear your general thoughts and feedback too! And as always, if you like the episode, you can help others find us by leaving a rating or review! Join the discussion: DiscordRead more: NewsletterFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | Facebook | Website

In this Metacast CryptoCorner episode, your host Nico is joined by Lars Doucet, Ryan Foo and Miko Matsumura to discuss the sustainability of Play-to-Earn Economies.If you would like us to discuss another blockchain gaming-related topic, do reach out at [email protected]. We’d love to hear your general thoughts and feedback too! And as always, if you like the episode, you can help others find us by leaving a rating or review! Join the discussion: DiscordLearn more: Newsletter or Go Premium Follow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | Facebook | Website

In this Metacast CryptoCorner episode, your host Nico is joined by Joost Van Dreunen, Antubel Moreda and Sebastian Park to discuss the next steps in bringing Blockchain Gaming to the masses.We talk about what the biggest challenges still are, who the next gamers will be, and what companies will thrive in this space.If you would like us to discuss another blockchain gaming-related topic, do reach out at [email protected]. We’d love to hear your general thoughts and feedback too! And as always, if you like the episode, you can help others find us by leaving a rating or review! Join the discussion: DiscordLearn more: Newsletter or Go PremiumFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | Facebook | Website

In this Metacast episode, Miikka Ahonen, Matej Lancaric and Anton Gorodetsky are joined by your host Nicolas Vereecke to discuss; InvestGame’s Gaming Deals Activity Report Q1-Q3 2021Find the report here Brands in GamesNike and Roblox partnered to bring Nikeland onto the platform. We discuss how brands look at games, how they can build exposure within them and what games companies can do to facilitate that. Facebook/Meta Reveals Haptic GlovesMeta has silently been working on haptic technology to augment the Oculus VR Experience. We discuss how it works, the potential of this technology and the roadblocks ahead. As this week’s bonus segment, we are giving bold predictions about Gaming Industry deals. If you would like us to discuss any another gaming-related topics, do reach out at [email protected]. We’d love to hear your general thoughts and feedback too! And as always, if you like the episode, you can help others find us by leaving a rating or review! Join the discussion: DiscordRead more: NewsletterFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | Facebook | Website

Salone Sehgal is a general partner at Lumikai, India’s first gaming and interactive media fund. She previously founded her own gaming startup and served as a GP at London Venture Partners. We chat about the India games market — its potential to bring gaming to the next 1B users — key macro market trends, and specialized gaming VCs. Enjoy!

In this Metacast episode, Yonatan Raz-Fridman and Chong Ahn are joined by your host Nicolas Vereecke to discuss; RobloxRoblox saw impressive revenue growth over the past quarter, even without Forte & the rise of Blockchain Gaming Infrastructure CompaniesForte differentiates itself from other infrastructure providers by offering an all-in one cross-chain solution. Because what they’re building is so ambitious, they’ll be able to make very good use of the $750m they just rasied. Riot Forge announces/drops 4 gamesRiot is killing it these days, and the company is on its way to build the first games-first global multi-media IP. As this week’s bonus segment, we are giving bold predictions about Riot Games If you would like us to discuss any another gaming-related topics, do reach out at [email protected]. We’d love to hear your general thoughts and feedback too! And as always, if you like the episode, you can help others find us by leaving a rating or review! Join the discussion: DiscordRead more: NewsletterFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | Facebook | Website

“Loot is a time machine into the future of human collaboration and work. We are building the Star Wars of the next generation”In this Metacast CryptoCorner episode, your host Nico is joined by Timshel and LordOfAFew to take a deep dive into the Lootverse.What emerges from the conversation is a mind boggling journey into the Hyperverse. The Hyperverse is a place where hundreds of builders are collaborating in a trustless, permissionless, distributed, global, pseudonymous and asynchronous way. It’s not clean. It’s not pretty. It might not go anywhere. But no one can stop them, and what might emerge could change the way we look at how humans work and collaborate.If you would like us to discuss another blockchain gaming-related topic, do reach out at [email protected]. We’d love to hear your general thoughts and feedback too! And as always, if you like the episode, you can help others find us by leaving a rating or review! Join the discussion: DiscordLearn more: Newsletter or Go Premium Follow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | Facebook | Website

Naavik is launching a new research service dedicated to blockchain games, and this episode is a discussion about our pilot report that was written by Jimmy, Lars, Anthony, Aaron and Manyu.The team is joined by Nico to discuss important industry developments and dig deep into Axie Infinity. We walk through the game's history, game design, tokenomics, economic issues, future roadmap, and how we think the development team can set itself up for greater success. Remember, if you wish to make us your personal blockchain games research department, go to naavik.co/premium and use the promo code "METACAST" in the next 30 days at checkout to save 25% for the first year subscription. If you would like us to discuss any another gaming-related topics, do reach out at [email protected]. We’d love to hear your general thoughts and feedback too! And as always, if you like the episode, you can help others find us by leaving a rating or review! Join the discussion: DiscordRead more: NewsletterFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | Facebook | Website

Why did Facebook change its name to Meta? Does it make sense? More importantly - will it work?Find out in this week’s roundtable!In this Metacast episode, Aaron Bush and Carlos Pereira are joined by your host Nicolas Vereecke to discuss; Facebook going full Meta Quarterly earnings reports ofSonyMicrosoftUbisoftActivision Blizzard If you would like us to discuss any another gaming-related topics, do reach out at [email protected]. We’d love to hear your general thoughts and feedback too! And as always, if you like the episode, you can help others find us by leaving a rating or review! Join the discussion: DiscordRead more: NewsletterFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | Facebook | Website

In this debut Crypto Corner episode, Michael Wagner, Co-Founder & CEO of Star Atlas, is joined by our own Nicolas Vereecke.Star Atlas is a space-themed video game metaverse of grand strategy, open world exploration, territorial conquest, and political domination. The underlying technology consists of the latest in hi-fidelity game development, Unreal Engine, stunning visuals, and a blockchain base layer utilizing Solana.We discuss Star Atlas’ vision, roadmap and technology, and dig deep in the potential of blockchain-enabled gaming plus what it will mean for the Metaverse.If you would like us to discuss another blockchain gaming-related topic, do reach out at [email protected]. We’d love to hear your general thoughts and feedback too! And as always, if you like the episode, you can help others find us by leaving a rating or review! Join the discussion: DiscordLearn more: Newsletter or Go Premium Follow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | Facebook | Website

!WARNING! the Metacast team is ‘winging it’ this weekIn this Metacast episode, Aaron Bush and Abhimanyu Kumar are joined by your host Nicolas Vereecke to discuss; The current state of Loot NFT galleries (check out Nico’s) Founder-lead gaming companies As this week’s bonus segment, we are giving bold predictions about whatever we feel like! If you would like us to discuss any another gaming-related topics, do reach out at [email protected]. We’d love to hear your general thoughts and feedback too! And as always, if you like the episode, you can help others find us by leaving a rating or review! Join the discussion: DiscordRead more: NewsletterFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | Facebook | Website

How is Roblox doing 6 months after its IPO? What are some key design decisions when building an NFT-based game economy?Answer to this and more in this week’s roundtable!In this Metacast episode, Aaron Bush , Yonatan Raz-Fridman and Miikka Ahonen are joined by your host Nicolas Vereecke to discuss; The Present and Future of RobloxRoblox is betting big on multiple angles: - Higher immersion through voice chat, better textures & more lifelike avatars- More & better developer tooling- Monetization through limited items & royalties It is successfully innovating on different fronts, and thereby impressively deepening its competitive moat. NFTs and player-run Game EconomiesMobileDevMemo articleAccording to the article: - The promise of NFTs for games lies in the fact that the game marketplace is not controlled or operated by the game developer, that there is transparency and that there is potential for fractional ownership. - Essential requirements are that the value of in-game assets is not determined by an inflow of new players, NFTs contribute to core gameplay, and NFTs need to be freely accessible to all players.- Some design choices that fulfill these requirements are; items are non-permanent (they can degrade or be lost upon death), there is derived scarcity (based on land for example), and items need intrinsic utility beyond speculation. The above is a solid starting point for a comprehensive framework around NFT-based economies, but lacks some flexibility. As this week’s bonus segment, we are sharing bold predictions about game economies! If you would like us to discuss any another gaming-related topics, do reach out at [email protected]. We’d love to hear your general thoughts and feedback too! And as always, if you like the episode, you can help others find us by leaving a rating or review! Join the discussion: DiscordRead more: NewsletterFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | Facebook | Website

In this Metacast Interview episode, Scott Reismanis, Founder & CEO of mod.io, is joined by our own Aaron Bush.Mod.io is building a platform that gives studios fully integrated and cross-platform mod solutions for their games. We discuss Scott’s history with Mod DB, why modding has failed to cross the chasm, why and how that might change, and how mod.io will be part of the solution. I learned a lot and expect you will too - enjoy!If you would like us to interview anyone else (or you have something interesting to share), do reach out at [email protected]. We’d love to hear your general thoughts and feedback too! And as always, if you like the episode, you can help others find us by leaving a rating or review! If you’d like to join the discussion, feel free to join our Discord!

What are Social Tokens and why should you care about them? Why is Paris Hilton building an experience in Roblox? What did we learn from the Twitch Leaks?Answer to this and more in this week’s roundtable!In this Metacast episode, Chong Ahn , Anton Gorodetsky and David Amor are joined by your host Nicolas Vereecke to discuss; The Twitch Leaks1. Streamer earnings are concentrated at the top, and will remain there2. A potential Steam competitor by Amazon will likely need to successfully leverage Deep pockets Exclusive, high-quality games Integrations with Twitch/AmazonOverall, not likely to happen Paris Hilton builds a Roblox ExperienceCelebs & brands will increasingly use games to find more points of contact with their audiences Social tokens Are a new way for content creators to Do early fundraising Build and reward their community Cut out middlemen like Twitch, Patreon etc. Expect a large number of creators to start issuing Social Tokens over the next years More info here: https://digitalnative.substack.com/p/social-tokens-and-creator-centric As this week’s bonus segment, we are making bold predictions about game streamers! If you’d like to join the discussion, feel free to join our Discord! And as always, if you like the episode, you can help others find us by leaving a rating or review! If you’d like more content, check us out at www.naavik.co. You can also find us on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.

Matej’s piece: https://lancaric.me/how-to-save-millions-with-marketability-testing/What are some best practices when creating a new game from scratch? And how can you include marketability testing in that process?Also - why is Honor of Kings the first Mobile Game to reach $10b in player spending?Answer to this and more in this week’s roundtable!In this Metacast episode, Miikka Ahonen, Matej Lancaric and David Amor are joined by your host Nicolas Vereecke to discuss; - New Game Creation best practices - Honor of Kings reaches $10b in lifetime revenue - Facebook messes up (again) As this week’s bonus segment, we are making bold predictions about mobile games! If you’d like to join the discussion, feel free to join our Discord! And as always, if you like the episode, you can help others find us by leaving a rating or review! If you’d like more content, check us out at www.naavik.co. You can also find us on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.

In this Metacast Interview episode, Gabby Dizon, Co-founder of Yield Guild Games, is joined by our own Nicolas Vereecke.They discuss what Yield Guild is, how Blockchain is changing the Games Industry and how Games Companies can take advantage of it. If you would like us to interview anyone else (or you have something interesting to share), do reach out at [email protected]. We’d love to hear your general thoughts and feedback too! And as always, if you like the episode, you can help others find us by leaving a rating or review! If you’d like to join the discussion, feel free to join our Discord!

What is the real opportunity behind Blockchain Games? Why is everyone so bullish?Also - what is the so-called Creator Economy and where is it going?Answer to this and more in this week’s roundtable!In this Metacast episode, Aaron Bush, Matej Lancaric and David Amor are joined by your host Nicolas Vereecke to discuss; - The Opportunity behind Blockchain Games - The rise of the Creator Economy and its implications for games As this week’s bonus segment, we are making bold predictions about the creator economy! If you’d like to join the discussion, feel free to join our Discord! And as always, if you like the episode, you can help others find us by leaving a rating or review! If you’d like more content, check us out at www.naavik.co. You can also find us on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.