Joseph Kim

GameMakers

About the show

The GameMakers podcast publishes current, entertaining, and in-depth discussions on F2P game development. Topics that we cover include the business of games, F2P monetization, liveops, game design, game development processes, team structure, and more.

Newest episodes

One Friend Beats a Million Ads | BisectHosting Founders Max Podkidkin & Andrew Blatchford

Nov 13, 2026 1 hr 14 min

The full conversation with BisectHosting co-founders Max Podkidkin (CEO) and Andrew Blatchford (CTO). Two Minecraft players turned a market gap, unreliable game hosting and support, into a bootstrapped business. We cover how they started, why they never raised outside money, how two co-founders who barely spoke made it work, and what they see across thousands of game communities: why players keep adding multiplayer to single-player games, what studios leave on the table, when to stay single-player, cheap ways to test demand, common mistakes, and how they use AI without cutting their support team. Chapters 00:00 BisectHosting's Founders 00:24 From Minecraft Server to Business 06:00 What a Minecraft Server Is 09:39 Growing Without Outside Funding 13:27 Bootstrapped vs. Venture Funded 17:25 Lessons From Two Co-founders 20:52 Handling Co-founder Disagreements 23:08 Why Players Add Multiplayer 25:47 Multiplayer as a Group Decision 30:41 The Multiplayer Augmentation Opportunity 36:52 Advice for Gamer-Founders 42:05 Signals From Thousands of Communities 44:32 Should Your Game Add Multiplayer? 50:18 What Studios Leave on the Table 52:55 When to Stay Single-Player 56:16 How to Test Demand Cheaply 59:38 Common Multiplayer Mistakes 1:02:34 How BisectHosting Uses AI 1:08:38 AI Advice for New Founders 1:13:05 Wrap-Up Guests: Max Podkidkin (Co-founder & CEO) and Andrew Blatchford (Co-founder & CTO), BisectHosting. https://www.bisecthosting.com GameMakers newsletter: https://www.gamemakers.com/

Stop Listening to Your Discord. Watch What Players Do. | Pedro Esparza, Bisect Hosting

Oct 22, 2026 54 min

Pedro Esparza, Head of Growth at Bisect Hosting, has spent about 20 years on the business side of game servers (MC Pro Hosting, Tebex, Overwolf). We dig into his community validation loop: how studios can read real demand from what players do instead of what they say, which signals to trust (retention first, Discord size last), and when to build a feature, partner with modders, or leave it alone. We cover Schedule I, RimWorld Together, Skyrim Together, Minecraft, and what a small studio should do on Monday morning when its community builds something it didn't ship. "If I had to choose between 100,000 people saying they want something and 5,000 people repeatedly doing something, I'd start looking at the 5,000." Chapters 0:00 Community Behavior Beats Opinion 3:59 Why Small Teams Move Faster 8:37 The Server-Side Vantage Point 12:02 Adoption, Persistence, Friction 15:19 Build a Continuous Feedback Loop 20:44 Turn Community Noise into Signal 26:00 The Community Validation Loop 31:23 Enable the Community Experiment 34:03 Find the Cheapest Credible Test 36:04 Schedule I: Demand for Dedicated Servers 38:48 Build It, Partner, or Leave It Alone? 43:34 What to Do Monday Morning 45:10 Leave the Door Open 47:27 When Multiplayer Is the Wrong Answer 50:33 After Demand Is Validated Newsletter: https://www.gamemakers.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJNjY2wtI5-F9ECeSA9KhEQ Joseph on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jokim/

Game PR in the Age of AI: What Actually Works?

Sep 1, 2026 51 min

Ask ChatGPT for the best mobile puzzle game and it does not say Candy Crush. It says Monument Valley, a game from 2014 that is not on any top grossing chart.Kalie Moore has spent the last year working out why, and this is the version a game studio can act on.I keep getting the same question from studios: how do you get found now that players ask an AI instead of searching. So I asked someone who does it for a living.Kalie Moore runs High Vibe PR, a boutique PR agency for gaming, AI and frontier tech companies, with offices in the USA, Europe and Asia. Clients include Pocket Worlds, the publisher of Highrise, and Overwolf, who she has worked with for six years. She also started PRCoverage.AI, a PR reporting platform she built the first version of herself after a dev shop quoted her $60,000 to $80,000 for an MVP, and then brought on a co-founder and CTO to make it something other agencies could use. In this conversation she walks through the work, the data, and the parts she says she cannot prove yet.Generative engine optimization, or GEO, is the practice of getting a brand named in AI answers, the way SEO gets you ranked in search results. For a game studio that means tracking which games and studios ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Perplexity and Google AI Overviews name for a given prompt, then building the earned media those answers are assembled from.WHAT YOU GETHow game studios actually get recommended by ChatGPT, and why app store rank and AI recommendations measure two different things. When Kalie checked, Monument Valley sat at number 11 on US App Store paid and neither it nor the sequel appeared on free downloads or top grossing, and ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity all still named it first.Which sources AI engines actually cite for games. On the prompt she tested, 18 of ChatGPT's 24 cited sources were best-of listicles, 5 were Wikipedia and 1 was Reddit. Gemini used four sources for its whole answer, one of which was the game publisher's own blog.How Pocket Worlds' H...

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All episodes

One Friend Beats a Million Ads | BisectHosting Founders Max Podkidkin & Andrew Blatchford

Nov 13, 2026 1 hr 14 min

Stop Listening to Your Discord. Watch What Players Do. | Pedro Esparza, Bisect Hosting

Oct 22, 2026 54 min

Game PR in the Age of AI: What Actually Works?

Sep 1, 2026 51 min

Steve Ganem (Unity VP of Product): Why Unity Made D2C Payments Free — and What It's Really After

Jul 14, 2026 43 min

Unity just made direct-to-consumer payments free for every developer on its IAP SDK. No take rate, no fees. So what's the catch?I sat down with Steve Ganem, VP of Product at Unity, to unpack the real strategy — and it turns out the story isn't about payments at all. It's about data.Steve brings a rare vantage point: 19 years in games (EA, Activision's Tony Hawk franchise, 11 years running his own studio through the free-to-play transition), then a decade at Google Analytics. In this conversation we cover why "free" is a rational move rather than a giveaway, why going D2C without Unity could actually cost developers ad signal, the conversion tradeoff most coverage skips (web checkout is harder than Face ID), and how this connects to Unity's advertising business and its AI platform, Vector.Whether you're a developer weighing D2C, a PM modeling the conversion math, or an investor watching Unity's turnaround, this one goes well past the announcement.📖 Full written analysis: https://www.gamemakers.com/p/the-most-important-number-in-unitys

Own Your Players, Don't Rent Them — D2C, Creator Codes & the Shadow Server Economy | Liam Wiltshire, GM of Tebex

Jun 16, 2026 1 hr 57 min

Epic spent five years and over $100M breaking the platforms' 30% tax — then cut V-Bucks by 20% to "pay the bills." If the company that won the fee war still gets squeezed, what does that say about everyone else? The answer isn't about fees. When AI makes content infinite and attention stays finite, the only asset that appreciates is the direct relationship with your players — the one distribution channel that gets cheaper the stronger it gets. And a nearly invisible economy of community-run game servers has been proving its dollar value for fifteen years. I sit down with Liam Wiltshire, GM of Tebex — the merchant-of-record platform behind direct payments for Rockstar, Take-Two, Hytale, and FiveM — to unpack it. In this episode: Why "is 30% dead?" is the wrong questionCreator codes: how trust drives 50–227% more spendThe BNPL and crypto data that surprised even TebexWhy 35% of desktop game purchases happen on a phoneHow Hytale launched off Steam and secured two years of runway from pre-orders aloneThe £20, 16-year-old origin story behind a company that's processed $1.5BRead the full breakdown and subscribe at gamemakers.com. Chapters00:00 — Epic cut V-Bucks: why it's really a margin story03:47 — When content is infinite, what's actually scarce?07:38 — The shadow games industry: Hypixel, FiveM & a $1.5B economy10:13 — The data: creator codes, BNPL & buying on a second screen13:33 — Liam Wiltshire joins: the state of the industry16:35 — Why every player purchase is a "CapEx decision"18:50 — Is the 30% platform fee dead?21:00 — Who really owns the player relationship?23:27 — D2C across mobile, web, PC & console34:59 — Treating the platform as an acquisition channel42:57 — UGC servers & what a "merchant of record" actually does1:00:40 — Creator codes: how trust drives more spend1:19:04 — BNPL & crypto: the numbers that surprised Tebex1:31:20 — Payment optimization & one-click checkout1:40:43 — The £20 origin story & the $29M exit

The Last 20% Is Worth $100 Million

Mar 31, 2026 1 hr 10 min

AI is making it cheaper to build games. It's doing nothing for the cost of building the right game. That distinction is about to crush more studios than any technology shift in the past decade. Ran Mo is the CEO of Proxima and creator of Suck Up — arguably the first commercially successful game to use AI at runtime. The game generated over 100 million YouTube views with zero marketing spend. Before founding Proxima, Ran led product teams at EA on The Sims franchise and spent time at YouTube and BCG. In this episode, Ran live demos AI-assisted coding in Unity, breaks down his "trunk and leaves" framework for where AI helps (and where it destroys your codebase), and makes the contrarian case that AI in actual gameplay is overhyped — even though he built the first game to prove it works. We go deep on: why vibe-coded games are architecturally unusable at scale, the power law that's about to eliminate mid-tier studios, why Ran hired a marketer with 1M TikTok followers, and the Taoist philosophy that keeps him sane while Silicon Valley burns out around him Whether you're a game dev, studio head, or just trying to understand where AI actually moves the needle in creative industries, this conversation will sharpen your thinking. 🔗 Ran Mo's newsletter: newsletter.ranmo.me 🔗 Proxima: proxima.gg Outline: 0:00 Intro 1:15 Ran Mo's background and founding Proxima 4:38 How Suck Up actually uses AI 8:49 Why Proxima won't use AI for art or design 12:32 Live demo: AI coding in Unity 22:33 Vibe coding gone wrong — the Stardew Valley test 2...

ThiGaming Trends for 2026 — And the One Nobody Wants to Talk AboutRT

Feb 10, 2026 15 min

Last month, I sat on a panel about where the gaming industry is headed. The conversation was good — but there was one thing I didn't say out loud. In this episode, I break down the key trends I think will define gaming in 2026: The noise problem is about to get much, much worse — and it's hitting from both sidesSmall teams aren't an anomaly. They're the new default."Nobody codes anymore" — what AI-or-die actually means for studios right nowWhy the industry is losing its moat and most people don't see it yet Plus: the progression compression paradox that nobody's solving — why the attention economy is forcing games to speed up in ways that might break long-term engagement. Whether you're running a studio, building a game, or trying to figure out where this industry is going — this one's for you. 📩 Subscribe to the Gamemakers newsletter: gamemakers.com

AppLovin Bull vs. Bear Case: What Operators Know That Investors Don't

Dec 30, 2025 1 hr 51 min

AppLovin just crossed $250 billion in market cap. Stock up 127% YTD. EBITDA margins at 82%. Is this the beginning—or the top? We assembled the most qualified panel possible to break it down: an operator running millions through AppLovin's platform, a gaming-focused financial analyst, and an institutional investor who's seen these cycles before. What emerged isn't your typical bull-bear debate. It's a breakdown of how dominance actually works in ad tech—and what could break it. IN THIS EPISODE → Why AppLovin doesn't need to be better than competitors—just 95% as good → The MAX/Axon lock-in that keeps publishers captive → E-commerce expansion: AppLovin is beating Google on Android → The SEC investigation and deplatforming risk (how worried should you be?) → What one operator's portfolio data reveals about where the cracks are forming → Each panelist's prediction for AppLovin in 2026 SPEAKERS Josh Chandley — President & CEO, WildCard Games Matthew Kanterman, CFA — Director of Research, Blue River Financial Group Brian Peganoff — Former TMT Investor, Founder Timber Advisors Joseph Kim — CEO, Lila Games TIMESTAMPS [00:00] Introduction & Panel Overview [01:22] AppLovin Financial Recap: 127% YTD, 82% Margins [04:52] Valuation Analysis: Is Growth Priced In? [07:15] The Bull Case: Infrastructure Lock-In [10:30] How MAX & Axon Create Publisher Dependency [15:45] E-Commerce Expansion: Beating Google on Android [22:10] Why Meta & Google Can't Compete on iOS [28:40] The Bear Case: Five Risks [35:20] SEC Investigation & Deplatforming Risk [42:15] The Infrastructure Risk Nobody Discusses [48:30] Competitive Landscape: Unity, Moloco, Meta [58:20] Connected TV: Wild Card or Dead End? [1:05:40] Panel Predictions for 2026 [1:15:30] Key Takeaways LINKS Newsletter: https://www.gamemakers.com Full article: https://www.gamemakers.com/p/applovin-bull-bear-case Pixels & Profits is a GameMakers series covering the business and investing side of the gaming industry.

Your validation passed. Your players hated it. Here’s why. | MAG #10

Nov 17, 2025 27 min

Most game studios either skip validation entirely or waste hundreds of thousands on academic testing that doesn't move the needle. Both approaches kill products. In this episode, we discuss why product validation is the difference between success and years of wasted development—and introduces two frameworks to fix your process. You'll discover: The Pyramid Decision Model: When to trust tastemaker vision vs. player dataWhy the "wrong tastemaker problem" is your biggest invisible risk5 critical validation failures (and how to avoid each one)The signal vs. noise problem: When player feedback actually hurts your gameStage-specific validation: Pre-production → Production → Soft Launch → Hard LaunchWhy expensive user motivation studies and persona research rarely work This matters if: Your team debates "vision" vs. "data-driven" design endlesslyYou've hired consultants who delivered fancy reports but no resultsYour validation tests keep pointing in different directionsYou're burning runway without knowing if your core concept worksYou need a framework to match methodology to development stage The uncomfortable truth: It's nearly impossible to evaluate a "right tastemaker" without historical success—and even then, they might fail in a new genre. Meanwhile, over-intellectualized academic approaches sound impressive but rarely translate to product gains. Bottom line: Product velocity = speed × direction. Validation should steer your direction, not justify executive forecasts or create someone to blame. This episode gives you the frameworks to validate what matters, when it matters. Read the full breakdown with detailed frameworks:https://www.gamemakers.com/p/your-validation-passed-your-players Timestamps: (00:00:00) Why This Might Be the Most Important Topic Yet(00:01:07) The Two Extremes: No Testing vs. Testing Theater(00:05:28) The Pyramid Decision Model: Top vs. Bottom(00:09:52) Problem #1: The Wrong Tastemaker Problem(00:12:08) Problem #2: Validation Tests Are Often Flaw...

Your Analytics Stack Is Killing Your Studio (The New Meta: PostHog FTW)

Oct 29, 2025 46 min

Most game studios waste weeks of runway on the wrong analytics decision—here's how to avoid that mistake. Traditional analytics SDK vendors like Amplitude, Mixpanel, and Braze promise plug-and-play simplicity but deliver silent failures, contract negotiations, and escalating costs that can destroy startup velocity. In this episode, we discuss why the old analytics playbook is obsolete in 2025—and reveals the new meta that's eating market share. You'll discover: Why SDK analytics vendors fail silently (and cost you weeks of bad data)The contract negotiation trap that delays launches by 6+ weeks5 analytics infrastructure options compared (real costs, hidden tradeoffs)Why PostHog is the new standard for studios under 500K MAUHow the right stack can improve dev velocity by 30%+ and cut costs 40-50% This matters if: You're choosing analytics infrastructure for a new gameYour current solution is slowing down iteration speedYou're tired of waiting hours for batched event dataYou want warehouse-native architecture without enterprise costs Bottom line: Your analytics decision could mean the difference between product-market fit and running out of runway. For small to mid-sized game studios, PostHog combines enterprise-grade power with pay-as-you-go pricing—no contracts, no traffic forecasting, no silent failures. Read the full breakdown with technical details, pricing tables, and implementation guides: https://www.gamemakers.com/p/the-new-meta-for-game-analytics-save Timestamps (Episode Chapters): (00:00:00) The Studio-Killing Problem You're Ignoring(00:01:26) The "Silent Failure" Trap (How SDKs Hide Bugs)(00:02:41) How 15-Minute Data Delays Destroy QA Velocity(00:06:02) The Obsolete 3-Tier Analytics Model (and Why It's Broken)(00:10:38) The 6-Week Contract Negotiation Trap(00:14:16) The "Nostradamus" Forecasting Problem: Why You Always Overpay(00:16:19) Option 1: Traditional SDKs (Amplitude, Mixpanel)(00:25:32) Option 2: Firebase + BigQuery(00:28:34) Option 3: Unity Ana...

Why Game Studio Failures Are Structure Problems, Not Talent Problems | Chris Casanova (Microsoft, Mojang, Relic, Hypixel)

Oct 24, 2025 55 min

Most game studios think they have a talent problem. They don't. They have a structure problem. Chris Casanova spent 15+ years as a producer across Microsoft Xbox, Mojang (Minecraft), Relic Entertainment, Offworld Industries, and Hypixel Studios. He's watched talented teams fail repeatedly—not from lack of skill, but from organizational friction. Traditional studios organize around craft silos: design departments, engineering departments, art departments. Every feature requires handoffs. Every handoff loses fidelity. The result? Friction, misalignment, wasted iteration, and missed deadlines. Chris reveals the alternative: cross-functional outcome teams of 5-9 people who own their results from concept to ship. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ TIMESTAMPS ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ 00:00 - Chris's background: Xbox, Mojang, Relic 02:59 - Why he wrote "Structure Teams to Win" 06:54 - The problem with craft-based teams 08:17 - Outcome teams: The procedural worlds example 18:32 - Why 5-9 people is optimal team size 24:10 - Three organizational layers explained 31:48 - When leaders resist change 42:20 - The political reality of reorganization 47:15 - Case study: 70-person AA co-op shooter 58:07 - Advice for small teams (10 people) 01:01:06 - How to connect with Chris ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ KEY INSIGHTS ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ THE PROBLEMS: - Design creates specs without context → over-engineered solutions - Art produces assets without validation → endless iteration - QA receives unclear requirements → irrelevant bug reports - Every handoff loses the original intent THE SOLUTION: Cross-functional teams of 5-9 people with: → Mixed disciplines (designers, engineers, artists, QA embedded) → Clear mission and measurable KPIs → Everything needed to own their outcome → Minimal handoffs, maximum collaboration REAL EXAMPLE: Procedural worlds team mission: "Every world seed feels fresh, readable, performant" KPI: Biome novelty per minute Team: Generation engineers, world designers, environment arti...

The Battlefield 6 Redemption, What UCLA Football Teaches About Leadership, & Structuring Teams to Win | MAG #7

Oct 20, 2025 59 min

Western AAA development is not dead. Battlefield 6's 7 million unit launch proves it. This episode deconstructs how EA and Vince Zampella reversed the "disaster" of Battlefield 2042 by focusing on leadership, community feedback , and a smarter studio structure. Then, we explore why leadership is the ultimate "alpha". Joseph Kim breaks down the stunning turnaround of the UCLA football team—who went from a 0-4 disaster to a 3-0 winning streak (including beating #7 Penn State ) with the exact same players. The only thing that changed? Leadership and strategy. Learn how to apply these lessons on accountability , clear roles , and scheme-to-personnel fit to your game studio. Finally, we feature an excerpt from an interview with veteran producer Chris Casanova on why your studio is likely structured for failure. He explains the critical shift from "craft-based" (siloed) teams to cross-disciplinary "outcome-based" teams and how to implement it. Timestamps: [00:00:20] Today's Topics: Battlefield 6, UCLA Leadership, & Team Structures [00:01:51] Corrections: Revisiting the EA/PIF Deal & The "Copy, Improve, Innovate" Framework [00:04:33] Top 3 News: Battlefield 6 (7M copies) , Switch 2 Production , Arc Raiders CCU [00:06:42] MACRO: The Battlefield 6 Redemption Story [00:07:41] By the Numbers: BF6 (7M units) vs 2042 (4.2M) [00:09:19] A Quick History of the Battlefield Franchise [00:11:12] What Changed? The "Save the Franchise" Game [00:13:01] Fix #1: A Better Studio Coalition Structure [00:15:05] Fix #2: Going Back to Basics & Listening to the Community [00:16:14] Fix #3: Polish and Giving the Game Time [00:17:53] Fix #4: The Vince Zampella Factor [00:20:40] Deep Dive: Who is Vince Zampella? (Infinity Ward, Respawn) [00:28:22] ALPHA: Leadership is Your Biggest Competitive Advantage [00:31:18] Case Study: The UCLA Football Turnaround [00:32:15] The 0-4 Disaster (The Problem) [00:37:31] The Mid-Season Fix: Firing the Coach [00:39:10] The 3-0 Turnaround (The Result...

Inside the $55B EA-Saudi Deal: Why It's Not a Typical LBO (with Chris Petrovic & Matthew Kanterman)

Oct 13, 2025 59 min

Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund just closed the largest gaming acquisition in history—$55 billion for Electronic Arts. But this isn't the typical private equity playbook. In this episode, host Joseph Kim sits down with two M&A experts who break down what's really happening:- Chris Petrovic - Board Chairman & CBO at FunPlus, former President of Publishing at Zynga where he orchestrated their transformative acquisition strategy- Matthew Kanterman, CFA - Gaming industry analyst specializing in M&A and financial analysis We uncover the hidden truths behind the deal:→ Why EA's "operational bloat" narrative is based on an accounting myth→ The real reason EA chose to sell now (hostile takeovers? portfolio pressure?)→ Why Silver Lake's involvement is primarily "for optics"→ What "patient capital" means for EA's studios and the broader gaming industry→ The mobile strategy question: Will EA and Scopely actually integrate?→ Growth opportunities in sports, Asia, and transmedia→ Who really controls gaming's attention economy now This isn't about short-term cost-cutting. It's about sovereign wealth rewriting the rules of gaming M&A—and what that means for developers, studios, and the industry's future. Key Takeaways:- At 17-18x forward EBITDA, EA sold at a discount to Activision's 20x—why?- With Take-Two now the only major independent US publisher, what happens to exit opportunities?- EA's conservative accounting makes them look less efficient than they actually are- This deal is measured in decades, not the typical 5-7 year PE timeline 📬 Subscribe to Gamemakers Newsletter:https://www.gamemakers.com/🔗 Connect with our guests:Matthew Kanterman: linkedin.com/in/matthew-kanterman-cfa-b6345133Chris Petrovic: linkedin.com/in/chrispetrovic 🎧 More episodes: https://open.spotify.com/show/4FdVLkx3msRFsqsEVA1vp0?si=b5192182dc6b4e52 #gaming #mergers #acquisitions #ea #saudiarabia #gamedev #podcast

The Ad Monetization Playbook: Fixing Leaky Revenue, Boosting CPMs, and Scaling Your Team with Kelly Kang

Oct 9, 2025 1 hr 8 min

Why is your ad revenue flat even when your game's traffic is growing? Margins are getting squeezed by hidden fees, and old strategies of yelling at partners no longer move the needle. In this episode, we sit down with veteran ad monetization consultant Kelly Kang to get her modern playbook for building a resilient and profitable ad strategy from the ground up. Kelly Kang has optimized ad strategies for some of the biggest names in mobile gaming, including Big Fish Games, Aristocrat, and Glu Mobile. She provides a masterclass on auditing your current setup, choosing the right tech stack, and understanding the metrics that truly matter for long-term growth. In this episode, you will learn: The #1 reason your revenue margins are shrinking (and it's not what you think). A 4-point framework to audit your ad stack, from mediation to placements. Why you should track Ad Engagement and Impression Depth over ARPDAU and CPM. The most common (and costly) mistakes studios make when launching and operating ads. Actionable "quick wins" that can immediately boost performance. How to structure and scale your ad monetization team based on revenue, not workload. Episode Chapters (Timestamps):(00:00:26) The Biggest Pain Point: Squeezed Margins & Hidden Fees(00:04:21) The Day-One Audit: A 4-Point Framework(00:07:37) Strategy: Header Bidding vs. Waterfall(00:14:25) The Metrics That Actually Matter (Beyond ARPDAU)(00:17:54) Ad Placement and Format Strategy(00:27:35) Launching a New Game: A Step-by-Step Plan(00:38:29) How to Structure and Scale Your Admon Team(00:49:03) Common Mistakes That Kill Revenue and LTV(00:55:49) Quick Wins to Boost Ad Revenue(01:04:08) The Future of Ad Monetization & AI Follow Us:For more expert insights, subscribe to the Gamemakers newsletter: https://www.gamemakers.com/ Connect with our Guest:To learn more about Kelly Kang and her work, visit Game Plan Advisor: https://www.gameplanadvisor.com

MAG: Inside EA’s $55B LBO, Lessons from Grow A Garden, and the Intent→Action Gap ("Alien's Eye View")

Oct 6, 2025 57 min

This week, we're breaking down the end of an era: the historic $55 billion acquisition of Electronic Arts. Go inside the deal to hear the likely banker's pitch that sold EA's board and what this massive leveraged buyout means for the future of the games industry. Then, we shift from titans to upstarts to uncover the secrets behind Grow a Garden, the Roblox game from a 16-year-old developer that quietly became the biggest in the world with over 22 million concurrent players. Learn how reviving and adapting a classic formula can lead to massive success on new platforms. Finally, we share a powerful mental model called the "Alien's Eye View"—a simple framework to expose the gap between your team's intentions and its actions, helping you align your goals and maximize development velocity. Tune in for critical insights into the business and craft of making games.

Unlock 82% of the Global Gaming Market: The Ultimate Localization Guide

Oct 2, 2025 1 hr 41 min

Is your game only available in English? You could be ignoring over 80% of your potential players. In this deep dive, I sit down with Alexander Murauski, CEO of localization agency Alkonost, to unpack the entire game localization playbook from start to finish. We cover the critical strategies, ROI analysis, and common mistakes that can make or break your global launch. Learn why you should start localizing on Day 1, how professional agencies use AI like ChatGPT to cut costs by 30% without sacrificing quality, and what to look for when choosing the right partner. Connect with our guest, Alexander Murauski:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amurauski/Email: am@alkonost.com Subscribe to GameMakers for more deep dives with industry leaders! Link: https://www.gamemakers.com/ 00:00:00 - The Mr. Beast Growth Hack00:01:02 - The Economic Impact: Unlocking 82% of the World's Players00:05:10 - How to Decide Which Languages to Localize00:06:10 - The #1 Rule: Your Marketing Plan Comes FIRST00:12:03 - Using Data vs. The "Base 10" Languages (FIGS & CJK)00:17:46 - The Golden Rule: Why You MUST Start Localization on Day 100:26:24 - The Most Common Localization Mistakes (Technical vs. Translation)00:30:45 - The Importance of a Glossary & Style Guide00:34:31 - Why Spreadsheets Fail & What Tools to Use Instead00:40:13 - What is a Localization Platform? (e.g., Crowdin)00:42:22 - How to Choose a Localization Agency00:59:24 - The Role of AI: Can't I Just Use ChatGPT?01:05:30 - How Agencies Use AI to Cut Costs by 30%01:12:19 - Case Study: A 15-Year Localization Partnership01:24:16 - The Founder's Story: From Side Hustle to 1,500 Translators01:35:14 - The Future of Localization01:39:32 - Where to Find Alex

Can Delta Force Beat PUBG? Is the Take-Two Mafia a Myth & How to Fix Recruiting? | MAG #5

Sep 29, 2025 26 min

On this episode of Game Makers, we explore three critical topics: how Delta Force's mobile revenue soared past PUBG's by 75% , why the "Take-Two Mafia" thesis is a myth centered on the wrong company , and a powerful framework for fixing your recruiting process by treating candidates like customers. In this episode, you will learn: MACRO: How Delta Force's monetization and LiveOps strategy led to a 6x revenue spike, and what its 97% revenue concentration in China means for Western studios. ALPHA: Why the popular "Take-Two Mafia" thesis is flawed and how the timeline points to Peak Games, not its publisher, as the true source of a mobile gaming "mafia effect". GAME DEV: How to apply the "Customer Journey and Touchpoints" concept from Tony Fadell's book Build to your candidates to create a recruiting process that attracts and wins 10x talent. Episode Timestamps: (02:20) Macro: Delta Force vs. PUBG Mobile Analysis (11:40) Alpha: Debunking the Take-Two "Mafia Effect" (22:30) Game Dev: Optimizing the Candidate Journey For charts and a full transcript, subscribe to our newsletter at: https://www.gamemakers.com/ Follow Game Makers and subscribe for more insights into the business and craft of making games.

Arena Breakout: Infinite Breaks Out to PC!, Destiny: End of Western IP + China Dev, Secrets and Stupid Ideas | MAG #4

Sep 23, 2025 51 min

In this episode, we explore the major headwinds facing the games industry, from publisher-developer tensions to the viability of long-standing business models. We start with a raw look at industry layoffs before pivoting to a deep-dive analysis of Arena Breakout Infinite's turbulent PC launch, which reveals a massive culture clash in monetization strategy. This discussion offers critical insights for anyone building or investing in games today, including: Arena Breakout Deep-Dive: We unpack the game's pay-to-win backlash, the shocking Tarkov plagiarism allegations, and what its performance signals for the future of extraction shooters.The End of an Alpha: A detailed breakdown of why the once-unbeatable model of pairing Western IPs with Chinese developers, like with Destiny Rising, is now likely dead due to economic and cultural friction.A Call for Contrarianism: An argument for why success in today's market requires embracing "secrets" and "stupid ideas" that conventional thinking would immediately reject, as outlined in Peter Thiel's Zero to One.

MAG Monday #3: India's RMG Ban, Failure of GenAI, Amazon x Netflix Gaming+Streaming Bundle

Sep 16, 2025 1 hr 29 min

Alpha: Clash Royale 5x Revenue, Understanding the Illegible Margin GameDev: The Problem with Product Validation Happy MAG-nificent Monday! 3-Macro: 3 stories impacting the competitive environment in which we operate Hike shuts down after India RMG ban Why GenAI is failing Amazon and Netflix announce Gaming+Streaming bundle 2-Alpha: 2 potential sources of Finding Alpha Clash Royale hits 3 year all-time highs… how? The Illegible Margin (by Taylor Pearson) 1-Game Dev: 1 lesson learned from getting my ass kicked in game dev The Problem with Product Validation

3-2-1 MAG #2: Dreamhaven Layoffs, Silksong Success, GamePass Worth Jack**** | Magic Tiles 3 - Piano Game, Rise of AA | On Decision Making

Sep 9, 2025 1 hr 3 min

3. Macro Top 3 Most Significant Gaming News From Last Week: Dreamhaven Games Hit by Layoffs (GamesIndustry.biz): Dreamhaven, the studio founded by former Blizzard Entertainment co-founder Mike Morhaime, confirmed it has undergone an unspecified number of layoffs. Despite the cuts, the CEO expressed optimism about the studio's future and the projects currently in development.Hollow Knight: Silksong Sees Massive Launch Success (IGN): Following its highly anticipated release, Hollow Knight: Silksong immediately surged on Steam, achieving over 453,000 concurrent players within hours of launch. The immense demand, which briefly caused issues on various digital storefronts, placed the game as the third most-played title on Steam and positioned it as potentially one of the biggest indie game launches ever.Pete Hines slams Xbox Game Pass as "worth jack s***" without proper compensation (Kotaku): Former Bethesda VP Pete Hines delivered a scathing critique of subscription services, arguing Game Pass creates an unsustainable ecosystem that doesn't properly value developers, Kotaku +2 reigniting heated industry debates about subscription models. His comments highlight growing tensions between platform holders and content creators as the industry grapples with profitability challenges. 2. Alpha Magic Tiles 3 - Piano GameThe Great Divergence: Western AAA vs. AA/Indies 1. Game Dev On Decision Making

3. 2. 1. Retro #1: Netease Bails on Western Studios, IGN Restructuring, Ubisoft and King Showcase AI

Sep 1, 2025 47 min

Top 3 Gaming News From Last Week: NetEase Shuts Down Another Western Studio (Game Developer): NetEase has closed T-Minus Zero Entertainment. This marks the third Western studio closure as part of a broader reassessment of business priorities and has raised concerns about the stability of Western studios under NetEase's ownership. IGN Publisher John Davison Exits Following Major Layoffs (Kotaku): John Davison, IGN's publisher since 2019, announced his departure at the end of August 2025 following significant layoffs affecting 12% of the editorial union. The exit represents broader instability in gaming media as the largest gaming outlet globally faces consolidation pressures. Ubisoft and King Showcase AI Production Acceleration (Business Insider): Major studios revealed how AI tools are transforming game development, with Ubisoft's FaceShifter reducing 3D head creation time from a week to half a day, while King uses AI as a "co-pilot" for playtesting at scale and level tuning across thousands of Candy Crush Saga levels. Top 2 Game Dev Issues I Thought About From Last Week: 1. People vs. Product Most companies overindex on product analysis while treating people issues as taboo - You can ruthlessly critique and analyze the product all day, but giving critical feedback to individuals often gets labeled as "toxic" or grounds for termination. This creates a toxic positivity culture that stunts growth. People are the engine that builds the product - Without improving your team's capabilities through honest feedback (both positive and constructive), you're fundamentally limiting your organization's potential. The product can only be as good as the people making it.Recognize and leverage both skillsets - Some folks excel at people management (mentoring, developing talent, giving balanced feedback), others at product work (analysis, problem-solving, execution). The rare ones who master both are gold. The challenge is that people-focused contributions are harder to measure tha...

Finding Alpha: How to Find Your Company's Secret Advantage!

Aug 28, 2025 26 min

In an era where “good” isn’t good enough, this talk breaks down how to generate alpha—company-specific excess returns—by choosing the right game to play and going all-in on the highest-leverage moves. We cover the macro forces reshaping competition, case studies of teams that found alpha, and where velocity and AI change the basis of competition. What's your unique advantage? This talk emphasizes the significance of business strategy, particularly in light of the rise of AI and intense competition.Chapters:00:00 — Why “Finding Alpha” matters in 202501:15 — Macro: 5 secular trends (China, Attention Economy, Efficiency, LiveOps, AI)05:50 — Concepts: Alpha vs. Beta, Macro vs. Micro09:40 — Play to Win: Finding the biggest point of leverage15:10 — History snapshots: distribution & monetization plays that created alpha21:30 — Where alpha lives now: Product × Growth × LiveOps (+ AI)26:45 — Product velocity: iterating fast in the right direction29:20 — Organizational Meta: re-shaping teams for the age of AI31:10 — Takeaways & next steps

Call of Duty vs. Battlefield, Dreamhaven Struggles, AI - Tencent & Unity | Game Dev Review #1

Aug 25, 2025 1 hr 7 min

GAME DEV REVIEW #1 NEWS: Top 5 Gaming News Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 Officially Revealed (GameSpot): Activision has unveiled the next entry in its massive first-person shooter franchise, "Call of Duty: Black Ops 7." The reveal trailer, showcased at Gamescom, provided a first look at the game's near-future setting and hinted at a narrative connected to previous "Black Ops" titles, with a release slated for late 2025. Battlefield 6 Beta Receives Positive Reception (Kotaku): The open beta for EA and DICE's "Battlefield 6" has concluded, with players and critics praising its return to a modern setting, large-scale maps, and destructible environments. The positive buzz is seen as a crucial step for the franchise to regain momentum after the mixed reception of its predecessor. Black Myth: Zhong Kui Announced by Game Science (Video Games Chronicle): The developers of the highly anticipated "Black Myth: Wukong" surprised audiences at Gamescom with the announcement of a new title, "Black Myth: Zhong Kui." This new game appears to be set in the same mythological universe, further expanding the rich world-building that has captivated a global audience. India Passes Bill to Regulate Online Gaming (Reuters): The Indian parliament has passed a new bill that will regulate the country's online gaming industry, including a ban on games that involve real-money wagering. This legislation is expected to have a significant impact on the rapidly growing Indian gaming market and the companies operating within it. Blizzard Co-Founder's Dreamhaven Struggles with Sales (Bloomberg): Mike Morhaime's Dreamhaven sold only 130,000 units of Wildgate one month after launch and 62,000 copies of Sunderfolk since April. Demonstrates the challenges new studios face in an oversaturated market, despite their pedigree. Top 3 AI x Gaming News Square Enix Tech Demo Shows AI-Generated Detective Game (Square Enix): Square Enix presented a tech demo for a detective game where an AI generates case files, clues...

Navigating the Game Industry Reset: Layoffs, AI Hiring & Career Strategy with Keith Caswell (ex-EA, Microsoft)

Aug 18, 2025 1 hr 57 min

The games industry is in a state of flux. Layoffs are widespread, AI is disrupting hiring, and the future feels uncertain. To navigate this new landscape, we're joined by Keith Caswell, a 20-year HR veteran with leadership experience at Microsoft, Electronic Arts, and Wizards of the Coast, for a masterclass in career and talent strategy. Whether you've been recently laid off, you're a leader struggling to hire authentic talent, or you're trying to future-proof your career, this episode provides an actionable playbook for success. In This Episode, We Discuss: The current state of the gaming job market and when it might recover. A step-by-step playbook for job seekers: networking, portfolios, and resumes. Why traditional interviews are failing and how to hire effectively in the age of AI. The real impact AI will have on game dev roles and the future of work. The debate between hardcore work ethic and work-life balance. Connect with our guest: Keith Caswell on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caswellkeith/Keith's Website: keithcaswellhr.com Time Stamps: (02:41) The Current State of the Gaming Job Market(08:32) The Playbook for Recently Laid-Off Professionals(11:36) The Power of Your Network & How to Leverage Recruiters(28:03) Is Ageism a Real Factor for Industry Veterans?(51:20) The Employer's Dilemma: How to Hire in the Age of AI(01:03:09) The Best Interview Question to Ask(01:11:29) How Will AI Really Impact Game Dev Jobs?(01:26:33) The Hardcore Work Ethic vs. Work-Life Balance Debate(01:39:29) Future Predictions: Market Rebounds & Production Models

Why Data Is The New Superpower In Gaming!

Jul 29, 2025 1 hr 16 min

Four years after Apple's ATT shook the mobile gaming world, measurement remains complicated—but not impossible. Airbridge CEO Roi Nam joins us for an unfiltered technical discussion on what's actually working in iOS UA today. We explore SKAN 4.0, the power of CAPI, Web-to-App strategies, and why some studios see 54% LTV lifts while others struggle. From boosting ATT consent rates to understanding the UA-monetization convergence, this episode delivers the practical insights mobile gaming professionals need to compete in 2025. Warning: This gets technical. If you're looking for surface-level tips, this isn't it. But if you want the real strategies driving growth at top studios, you're in the right place.

From Concept to Character: AI Animation Revolution in Gaming

Jul 29, 2025 58 min

Join us for an eye-opening conversation about how AI is completely transforming the game animation industry. Viren Tellis, CEO of Uthana, shares how their technology is enabling developers to animate characters in seconds instead of days, democratizing game development for indie creators. What you'll discover: The three game-changing ways to create animations with AI (text, video, and smart libraries)Why animation AI is harder to build than image generators like MidjourneyHow indie developers are shipping games without hiring a single animatorThe coming revolution of real-time, responsive AI characters in games

The Hidden Cost of Building Games: Sacrifice, Success, and What Really Matters ft. Mishka Katkoff, Deconstructor of Fun

Jul 21, 2025 1 hr 15 min

What's the real cost of being a startup gaming founder? In this very off-topic conversation, my old friend Mishka Katkoff (Deconstructor of Fun) and I go deep on the topics nobody puts in their pitch deck. We share personal stories about the psychological and physical toll of the grind, and question the nature of ambition in the game industry.This isn't your typical industry talk. We discuss life, sacrifice & suffering, success, and many other topics that we usually don't talk about unrelated to the business of games.Timestamps:00:00:00 - Mishka's "Slower Phase" as a Family Man00:03:56 - Does Hustle Culture Mask Deeper Problems?00:07:55 - The Difference Between Suffering and Sacrifice00:22:29 - Mishka's Biggest Lesson: Why Shared History Beats Shiny CVs00:37:35 - If Your Startup Succeeds, What Personally Changes?00:54:41 - The Pressure of AI: Is This Our Last Chance to Grind?01:02:40 - The Unseen Toll: A Founder's Most Personal Confessions01:04:15 - "I Was Happy": My Reaction to the SVB Collapse01:05:03 - When Stress Becomes Physical: Crying Spells & Panic Attacks01:07:07 - Mishka's Advice to Aspiring Founders: "Shut the F*** Up"01:12:13 - Final Thoughts on Finding Your PathSUBSCRIBE TO GAMEMAKERS:- Newsletter: https://www.gamemakers.com/😃 —CONNECT WITH JK! — • INSTAGRAM → @jokim1• TWITTER → @jokim1• LINKEDIN → https://www.linkedin.com/in/jokim/

Web Shops: From 10% to 50% Revenue – The Playbook Top Games Don't Want You to Know

Jul 13, 2025 1 hr 21 min

Apple and Google are taking 43% more money from your game than you think – and your competitors are using web shops to capture that revenue instead. In this eye-opening discussion, Stash's Chief Growth Officer reveals how top mobile games generate 50%+ of revenue through direct-to-consumer channels while others leave millions on the table.Why you need to watch this:- Discover the hidden math behind the "30% platform fee" that's costing you millions- Learn the exact playbook Scopely and Supercell use to maximize web shop revenue- Understand how the Epic ruling changes everything for mobile monetization- Get actionable metrics and strategies you can implement immediatelyTimestamps:00:00 - Introduction & Web Shop Revolution01:26 - How Epic vs Apple Changed Everything08:40 - The Brutal Math of Platform Fees15:00 - Three Pillars of Web Shop Success22:03 - Implementation Roadmap33:05 - Best Practices from Top Performers45:10 - The Epic Ruling Implications55:12 - Metrics That Matter1:09:34 - Future of Mobile Gaming DistributionGuest: Archie Stonehill, Chief Growth Officer at StashHost: Joseph Kim📊 Download Stash's Web Shop Guide: [link]💼 LinkedIn: Joseph Kim (@jokim) | Archie Stonehill (@archie-stonehill)#MobileGaming #GameDev #WebShops #GameBusiness #GameMonetizationSUBSCRIBE TO GAMEMAKERS:- Spotify Podcast: https://spoti.fi/3Cpyq7i- Newsletter: https://www.gamemakers.com/😃 —CONNECT WITH JK! — • INSTAGRAM → @jokim1• TWITTER → @jokim1• LINKEDIN → https://www.linkedin.com/in/jokim/

Game PM Evolution: Insights on AI, Strategy & Survival

Jun 13, 2025 1 hr 10 min

The game development industry is in flux. From the intense pressure of the attention economy and global competition to the seismic shifts brought by Artificial Intelligence, how is the crucial role of the Product Manager evolving? Join us for an in-depth exploration of these critical questions, featuring a panel discussion, "The Evolution of the Product Manager," and an exclusive after-panel debrief. Hear directly from industry product leaders as they dissect the challenges and opportunities ahead. Speakers:* Oren Debi. Generative AI Lead & VP Product at SciPlay.* David Duong. Sr. Director of Product Management at Respawn Entertainment (Apex Legends).* Tim Hong. Head of Live Service Games at AWS for Games.* Lee Horn. Fmr. VP of Product & Game Director at Mountaintop Studios.* Joseph Kim. CEO at Lila Games.* Solomon Lichter. Sr. Director, Global Gaming at CleverTap. In this episode, you'll discover: The macro trends fundamentally altering game development. AI's current and future impact: from efficiency tool to "agentic AI" and the "PM+1" concept. The cultural divide between mobile and PC/console PM practices and why adaptability is key. Actionable strategies for PMs to thrive, including Gartner's "3 Returns" framework and the importance of "product velocity." Candid reflections on what it takes to succeed in this new era of game creation and management. Whether you're a studio executive, product manager, marketer, or passionate about the future of gaming, this discussion offers invaluable insights. EPISODE CHAPTERS:(Listen in order or jump to the sections most relevant to you) 0:00:00 Introduction: Setting the Stage for the Evolving PM Part 1: Product x LiveOps Symposium Panel – The Product Manager in Flux0:04:24 Macro Trends Redefining Game Development (Attention Economy, Rise of China, LiveOps Resurgence) 0:11:19 AI in the Trenches: Separating Hype from Reality (Current Efficiency Gains in Art, Code, PM Tools) 0:14:31 The Evolving Product Manage...

HTML5 Gaming is Back—But This Time It's Different" | Playgama CEO Reveals Why

Jun 5, 2025 48 min

Is HTML5 gaming finally ready for prime time? After multiple failed attempts over the past decade, something fundamental has changed. In this episode, we sit down with Dmitry Kachmar, CEO of Playgama, who recently raised $3M betting that HTML5 gaming is about to explode. Thanks to GPU advances from the AI boom, 5G networks, and platforms desperate to break free from app store monopolies, browser-based games can now rival native mobile experiences. We dive deep into why Discord, Telegram, and every platform with a web browser are racing to add games, how developers can leverage this distribution revolution, and what it means for the future of mobile gaming. Dmitry shares candid insights on platform-specific design strategies, the challenges of retention without app store lock-in, and why he believes over 50% of new games will be HTML5-based within five years. Whether you're a game developer, studio executive, or industry observer, this conversation reveals why the next chapter of gaming might not be in app stores—but everywhere else. Key topics covered: The technology convergence enabling AAA-quality browser gamesHow to monetize without the 30% app store taxPlatform-specific strategies for Discord vs Telegram vs web portalsWhy viral mechanics are no longer optionalThe distribution-as-a-service model reshaping game publishing About the guest: Dmitry Kachmar is CEO of Playgama, former Yandex executive with multiple exits, Harvard grad, and adtech veteran now focused on democratizing game distribution.

Why Most New Games Still Face-Plant — and How Player Insight Can Flip the Script

May 15, 2025 58 min

Why $200M games flop — and how LiveAware’s “always-on” player insight flips the odds.• Echo-chamber dev culture & launch disasters• Quant vs qual data gap killing velocity• LiveAware’s one-click capture → AI analyze → auto-Jira flow• Surfacing bugs & sentiment from Discord, YouTube, surveys• Dashboards that feed artists, designers, engineers the clips they need• Case studies: Dead as Disco, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2, Treehouse competitive intel• Indie-friendly pay-as-you-go pricing + roadmap to multi-channel feedback nirvanaOUTLINE:0:00 Underwhelming game launch failures4:00 Vision vs player expectation gap8:00 Quantitative vs qualitative data gap12:00 LiveAware capture analyze share workflow16:00 One-click streaming and transcription20:00 AI clusters themes and clips24:00 Tailored dashboards and auto Jira28:00 Multi-channel feedback aggregation explained32:00 Indie vs AAA use cases36:00 Dead as Disco success story40:00 S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 QA integration44:00 Signal vs noise management48:00 Feedback philosophy continuum debate52:00 Future roadmap and pricing plansSUBSCRIBE TO GAMEMAKERS:- Newsletter: https://gamemakers.substack.com/😃 —CONNECT WITH JK! — • INSTAGRAM → @jokim1• TWITTER → @jokim1• LINKEDIN → https://www.linkedin.com/in/jokim/

The BILLION User Goldmine: Gaming with AI + Telegram (DEEP DIVE)

May 14, 2025 49 min

Simon from Goat Gaming shares how his team is leveraging AI and Telegram to build games in just 2-3 weeks, reaching 5.5 million users. Learn why he believes AI will be an "extinction-level event" for studios that don't adapt, and how Telegram offers a billion-user opportunity similar to early Facebook gaming.Content Outline:00:00 – AI vs. Legacy: “Extinction-level event” for slow studios02:45 – AlphaGoats & Agentic Play: How players train and deploy AI agents07:41 – History Repeat? Sports sims & idle games parallels10:08 – Why Telegram? 1B users starved for games (like early Facebook)18:12 – Telegram Strategy: Gaming as a priority on Telegram/TON19:33 – AI Dev Pipeline: 37 Fortnite maps in 37 weeks; 2–3-week game builds23:46 – Rethinking AAA: 50-person teams vs 500+ for similar quality25:25 – Team & AI: Organizational changes for AI adoption27:56 – Founder’s Origin: From King/Non Stop to Mighty Bear Games31:58 – Telegram Takeoff: Go Gaming’s 5.5M users and 100M+ events32:36 – Crypto & Ads: Token incentives and Telegram’s ad network33:40 – Crypto Gaming Today: Why success lives on Telegram35:15 – Viral Mechanics: Referrals, leaderboards, NFT “Gifts” ($35M+)36:40 – Early-Stage Market: Telegram gaming ecosystem ~2010 mobile level38:02 – Singapore Startup: Betting on Asia trends (MPL influence)42:49 – Battle Stories: 150 VC rejections, Rocket Internet investor, persistenceSUBSCRIBE TO GAMEMAKERS:- Newsletter: https://gamemakers.com/😃 —CONNECT WITH JK! — • INSTAGRAM → @jokim1• TWITTER → @jokim1• LINKEDIN → https://www.linkedin.com/in/jokim/

From Halo to Fortnite: Alex Seropian's Unfiltered Take on UEFN's Future

Apr 15, 2025 59 min

Alex Seropian (Bungie co-founder) shares his experience developing for Epic's UEFN platform in this exclusive interview. Discover insights on platform capabilities, economics, audience demographics, and future predictions for Fortnite's creator ecosystem. TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 - Introduction 1:00 - Changes in UEFN since 2023 5:30 - Working with brands on UEFN 10:00 - Economic challenges for developers 14:00 - State of UEFN monetization 19:00 - Discovery and audience building 23:00 - Successful game types on UEFN 26:30 - Development process differences 32:00 - UEFN player demographics and personas 38:00 - Development surprises and challenges 43:00 - Future predictions for UEFN 51:00 - Advice for developers considering UEFN 56:00 - Final thoughts and podcast mention SUBSCRIBE TO GAMEMAKERS:- Newsletter: https://gamemakers.substack.com/😃 —CONNECT WITH JK! — • INSTAGRAM → @jokim1• TWITTER → @jokim1• LINKEDIN → https://www.linkedin.com/in/jokim/

Applovin vs Unity: How Applovin Destroyed the Competition!

Apr 8, 2025 1 hr 15 min

(0:00) Introduction (1:00) Overview of AppLovin vs Unity market situation since 2022(2:10) Discussion of current mobile UA market conditions(6:30) Introduction to AppLovin vs Unity topic(9:00) How AppLovin gained advantage through Max mediation platform(11:10) The data advantage of first-party data in AppLovin's ecosystem(13:20) The lock-in effect of AppLovin's mediation and UA offerings(17:30) The snowball effect of AppLovin's market dominance(19:40) How AppLovin captured MoPub market share(22:20) Unity's execution issues after Iron Source merger(25:00) Cultural conflicts within Unity and algorithm problems(29:00) Discussion of Unity's "Vector" AI initiative(32:40) Unity's disappearing account managers and weak sales culture(35:20) AppLovin's focus on high-value customers and resource allocation(38:20) Increasing margin for AppLovin as market share grows(40:40) Unity's potential comeback strategy with Vector(45:10) The challenge for any network to compete with AppLovin(48:40) The "must use" nature of AppLovin for ad-monetized games(52:00) The risks of having 70-80% of UA budget on AppLovin(54:30) Potential industry alternatives to AppLovin(57:00) Discussion of emerging competitors like Moloco and Integral(1:01:30) The possible path forward for Unity to compete(1:05:40) Predictions for the future of mobile UA in two years(1:10:00) Speculation about AppLovin's TikTok acquisition bid(1:14:20) Wrap-up and conclusionSUBSCRIBE TO GAMEMAKERS:- Newsletter: https://gamemakers.substack.com/😃 —CONNECT WITH JK! — • INSTAGRAM → @jokim1• TWITTER → @jokim1• LINKEDIN → https://www.linkedin.com/in/jokim/

Future of AI in Game Development: Revolution or Evolution?

Apr 2, 2025 55 min

Dive into the future of AI in game development with this insightful panel from GDC featuring Aaron Farr (CTO at Jam and Tea Studios) and Liam Dean (Principal Analyst, Games at Omdia). They explore AI-native games, emergent gameplay, development acceleration, and how AI is transforming both game creation and player experiences. Essential viewing for game developers, executives, and anyone interested in how AI will reshape the gaming landscape.Timestamps0:00 - Introduction and panel overview1:50 - How revolutionary will AI be for gaming?3:30 - Current limitations of AI in game development5:10 - The concept of "AI native games" explained8:00 - Retail Mage: A real example of an AI native game11:10 - Emergent gameplay with AI - The painting IOU story14:20 - AI games vs. multiplayer games comparison17:40 - The controversy around AI in the games industry18:50 - Ethics of AI in game development22:20 - Who wins and loses with AI in game development?24:40 - The "organizational meta" and how AI will reshape studio structure27:40 - AI's impact on product development velocity30:20 - How traditional game studios will adapt (or fail)34:00 - Behind the scenes of an AI-native studio36:10 - How AI dramatically reduces development time (8 weeks vs 4 years)38:10 - The AI Dungeon Master example43:30 - Practical AI applications available right now47:10 - Q&A: Examples of AI-native games in the market49:30 - Q&A: Impact on staffing and team sizes52:40 - The future of game development organizationsSUBSCRIBE TO GAMEMAKERS:- Newsletter: https://gamemakers.substack.com/😃 —CONNECT WITH ME! — • MY INSTAGRAM → @jokim1• TWITTER → @jokim1• LINKEDIN → https://www.linkedin.com/in/jokim/

GDC 2025: What Happened?

Mar 26, 2025 49 min

Join us for an in-depth discussion on the Game Developers Conference 2025 with industry veterans as they share their perspectives and what was learned during GDC on the current state of the gaming industry. This candid conversation explores attendance trends, market challenges, investment landscapes, and what's next for game developers in a changing economy. Our panel discusses: ⭐ GDC attendance trends and the shift to more exclusive, executive-focused events ⭐ The "age of efficiency" and austerity measures affecting game studios ⭐ Investment challenges and the evolving VC landscape for gaming ⭐ Platform dynamics between developers and companies like Apple and Google ⭐ AI's current and potential impact on game development ⭐ Unity's latest developments and challenges ⭐ The changing nature of GDC itself and its future prospects Featured Speakers: 🗣️ Eric Kress, Principal at Gosser Consulting and host on the Deconstructive of Fun podcast 🗣️ Brett Novak, CEO from Liquid and Grit 🗣️ Solomon Lichter Ruiz, Senior Director Global Gaming at CleverTap 🗣️ Joseph Kim (Host), GameMakers & CEO of Lila Games Recorded March 2025 following the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco. #GameDevelopment #GDC2025 #GamingIndustry #GameDev #GameDesign #AI #MobileGames #GameInvesting Timestamps: 00:00 - Intro and GDC attendance discussion 04:00 - San Francisco city impressions 06:30 - Event format changes and networking dynamics 12:40 - Industry challenges and the "age of efficiency" 20:00 - Platform dynamics (Apple/Google) 30:00 - AI in gaming discussion 36:00 - Event highlights and notable gatherings 42:00 - Bing Gordon's insights 47:00 - Final thoughts on GDC's future

The Biggest Fire

Mar 11, 2025 26 min

This week I share thoughts from my years in game development about why teams often struggle with addressing their most critical problems. I discussed this with Ben Carcich in a pod I published a couple of weeks back: the "Building Better Games" episode. Some questions came up and I wanted to try something new, a bit of a rant on this topic. Is it lame? Is it useful? Let's try it and find out.

Understanding Battle Pass Game Design from Overwatch 2

Mar 4, 2025 53 min

Dive deep into Battle Pass design with industry experts discussing Overwatch 2's approach, player psychology, and monetization strategies. Learn essential insights about progression systems, player choice, and value perception from game developer Ted Park and former Riot meta-systems expert Chris Cobb, hosted by Joseph Kim of Lila Games.Content Overview0:00 - Introduction and Battle Pass Overview3:35 - Hero-Based Games: The Main Character Problem7:20 - Battle Pass Progression and Grindiness13:15 - Value Perception and Premium Options18:40 - Customization vs Production Realities24:10 - Battle Pass Currency and Mythic Rewards System31:25 - Loot Boxes: Their Surprise Return38:15 - IP Integration and Themed Content43:50 - Ideal Battle Pass Design: Expert Recommendations52:15 - Conclusion and Key TakeawaysSUBSCRIBE TO GAMEMAKERS:- Newsletter: https://gamemakers.substack.com/

How to Build Better Games - Game Production

Feb 18, 2025 2 hr 6 min

In an industry where development costs have skyrocketed, and market success has become increasingly challenging, understanding the true drivers of successful game development has never been more crucial. In this discussion with Ben Carcich from Building Better Games, we highlight the counter-intuitive patterns of success and practical frameworks for modern game development leadership.Key Focus Areas: 🔑 Why the most successful games often emerge from the most visibly challenging development processes 🔑 How premature scaling and uncertainty avoidance doom projects before launch 🔑 Critical success patterns observed across AAA and indie studios 🔑 Practical approaches to balancing creative vision, technical execution, and business reality Listen to this episode for actionable insights that challenge conventional wisdom about building successful games in 2024.OUTLINE:0:00 Intro1:45 How costs impact game success6:05 Other major problems with game success10:30 Zero sum time problem and the rise of live operated games11:40 Success from China and small devs12:30 Importance of delivering on a player experience14:35 The Alignment problem15:24 Fighting to expand the percentage of new game time18:25 How bigger production cost impacts decision making20:15 Major production problems - comfort with uncertainty24:35 Fear and pride25:55 Game projects with big problems succeed more often29:40 Pride and Insecurity31:52 The rush to production39:45 Obsession with planning42:20 Importance of development speed44:25 What derails planning: the wrong person and bad decisions47:09 The problem with the creative auteur49:52 Decision analysis vs. prioritization54:15 Scope creep: The ooh ooh ooh idea problem1:00:50 Taking lessons from the military and football1:04:52 Why do great lessons come from military and sports1:13:42 The problem with big plans1:14:37 Why you shouldn’t “always have an answer”1:19:00 The #1 rule: common sense rules1:22:34 How to find time to think deeply1:24:43 You don’t n...

The FUTURE of 4X Games: FirstFun's Surprising Billion-Dollar Strategy

Feb 10, 2025 1 hr 5 min

Join gaming industry veterans as they break down the unprecedented transformation of mobile 4X games. Featuring insights from Joseph Kim (Lila Games), Justin Yau (Wharton MBA), UA specialist Matej Lancaric (2.5 Gamers) and game design specialist Jakub Remiar (2.5 Gamers) on how Chinese gaming companies are achieving $8M+ daily revenue through innovative UA strategies and product design. Key Topics: 🔑 Evolution of 4X game design 🔑 UA innovation and AI creative production 🔑 Server economics and monetization strategies 🔑 Future industry predictions ⏰ Timestamps: 0:00 Introduction and Speaker Backgrounds 3:09 First Fun/River Game Partnership History 8:05 Modern 4X Game Economics 15:20 UA Strategy Evolution 23:45 Creative Production at Scale 31:30 AI's Role in UA Innovation 38:15 Product Design Integration 45:40 Server Management Strategies 52:30 Future of 4X Gaming 57:15 Non-Consensus Predictions 🔍 Featured Experts: Joseph Kim (CEO, Lila Games) Justin Yau (Industry Analyst, Wharton) Matej Lancaric (UA Specialist) Jakub Remiar (Game Design Consultant) 💡 Additional Resources: Previous Matej +: JK Collaboration Podcast on 4X UA Strategy: https://youtu.be/IvRjmGvWhdQ Dissecting Best-Selling Mobile 4X Game Metrics by Ning Wang: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/dissecting-best-selling-mobile-4x-game-metrics-ning-wang-vk1pc/ Join the GameMakers newsletter for more industry insights and discussions: Newsletter: www.gamemakers.com #MobileGaming #GameDev #UserAcquisition #4XGames #GameStrategy

LiveOps Playbook: Critical Secrets from Gaming's Top Experts

Feb 4, 2025 15 min

Learn the insider strategies from industry legends Frank Yan (Brawl Stars), Dafna Ben Onn (SciPlay), and Ivan Trancik (Superscale) on mastering mobile game operations! 📍 Timestamps: 0:00 - Introduction to LiveOps Fundamentals 2:15 - Frank Yan: Rapid Content Deployment Strategies 4:30 - The Art of Player Segmentation 7:00 - Dafna Ben Onn: Optimizing Rewards and Retention 10:45 - Balancing Monetization and Player Experience 14:20 - Ivan Trancik: Analytics and Experimentation Stages 18:30 - Building a Data-Driven Game Development Machine 22:00 - Key Takeaways and Future of LiveOps 🔑 Key Insights: How to update games instantly without client updates Personalization techniques that keep players engaged Building a robust analytics infrastructure Experimental strategies for game growth 💡 Perfect for: Mobile game developers Product managers Game studios looking to optimize performance Entrepreneurs in the gaming industry

MMPs and Attribution: What Game Studios Need to Know to Grow

Jan 30, 2025 1 hr 4 min

Leading mobile gaming experts break down everything you need to know about Mobile Measurement Partners (MMPs) in 2025. Get insider perspectives from AppsFlyer, Wildcard Games, and industry veterans on when to use MMPs, how much they really cost, and where the industry is heading. Perfect for mobile game developers, UA managers, and studio executives looking to optimize their marketing strategy and understand the evolving role of MMPs in today's privacy-first environment. OUTLINE: 00:00 - Introduction & Overview 03:43 - What is an MMP? Core Functions Explained 05:28 - SDK Integration Benefits 08:02 - Attribution & Performance Tracking 12:24 - Impact of IDFA Deprecation 16:32 - When Do Studios Need an MMP? 24:42 - Cost Breakdown for Studios 27:54 - Self-Attributing Networks (SANs) 32:45 - Working with Multiple Ad Networks 38:59 - Creative Optimization & AI Tools 43:08 - Data Clean Rooms & Privacy 51:09 - Open Source MMP Projects 53:52 - Future Trends in Mobile Marketing 57:47 - Industry Changes & Consolidation 1:01:02 - Final Thoughts & Recommendations SPEAKERS: ✅ Josh Chandley. Co-founder and COO at WildCard Games. ✅ Joseph Kim. CEO at Lila Games. ✅ Brian Murphy. Head of Gaming and New Product Strategy at AppsFlyer. ✅ James O’Claire. Former COO at Bubbleye. Founder Open Attribution. For links and additional info go to Gamemakers.com

Why UGC Cosmetics Could be the Future of Gaming

Jan 30, 2025 46 min

Join us as we explore the future of user-generated content (UGC) in gaming with Playmakers, diving into why community-created content converts 30% better than studio content and how AI fits into the UGC ecosystem. Essential insights for game developers looking to scale content creation through community engagement. #GameDev #UGC #gaming Co-hosted with Anton Bernstein, CEO at Pocket Worlds. OUTLINE: 0:00 Intro 0:40 Best game examples of UGC cosmetics 1:20 How cosmetics work in Counterstrike 3:05 The Playmakers UGC platform business 6:52 Dealing with the biggest UGC problem: Time To Penis (TTP) 9:10 Other problems: Trademarks and duplicates 10:18 Economics of enabling a UGC cosmetics platform 12:06 Balancing professional content vs. UGC content in a game 13:52 The kinds of games better adapted for UGC content 16:10 AI as a complement or competition to UGC: UGC vs. AGC vs. UGAC 20:37 In a world of infinite free content, how to give UGC items value 22:40 Biggest concerns to integrating UGC content in their games 24:40 Integration issues for integrating UGC in games 26:16 The functions required for a UGC platform 27:48 Getting over the cold-start problem getting creators to start making UGC 32:40 Can UGC content be cross-game content? 34:00 Big upcoming UGC macro trends 37:15 Depth vs. shallowness of UGC support Roblox vs. Minecraft 39:20 The trend of UGC remixing 41:35 Future Playmakers roadmap 👇 EPISODE LINKS: - Playmakers: https://www.playmakers.co/ SUBSCRIBE TO GAMEMAKERS: - Spotify Podcast: https://spoti.fi/3Cpyq7i - Newsletter: https://gamemakers.substack.com/ 😃 —CONNECT WITH ME! — • MY INSTAGRAM → @jokim1 • TWITTER → @jokim1 • LINKEDIN → https://www.linkedin.com/in/jokim/ — POPULAR CONTENT — 🤑 Economy of the Metaverse with Tim Sweeney https://youtu.be/h6ClJxjuRvw ℹ️ How to Build the Amazon of Game Companies https://youtu.be/bkd2TOpKt4I 🔮 Gaming Trends | A Look Ahead at 2021 https://youtu.be/NejFzHtpiZI 🖥️ The Future of PC Gaming https://youtu.be/_QT7O3W...

Pixels & Profits | Gaming Industry 2024-2025 - Crisis, Transformation, and Opportunity

Jan 7, 2025 1 hr 17 min

The gaming industry experienced seismic shifts in 2024, from record-breaking layoffs to China's rising dominance. In this comprehensive analysis, we break down the five key developments that shaped gaming in 2024 and what they mean for 2025. We'll explore: 🔑 The true impact of the gaming recession 🔑 Why live service games are harder than ever to compete with 🔑 How China became a global gaming powerhouse 🔑 The surprising comeback of live operations 🔑 Why UGC platforms struggled to monetize Plus, we'll dive into our predictions for 2025, including: 🔑 The evolution of game development models 🔑 AI's growing role in gaming 🔑 Market recovery catalysts 🔑 Companies to watch 🔑 Industry transformation ahead Whether you're a developer, investor, or gaming enthusiast, this analysis will help you understand where the industry is headed and why it matters. Join us for an in-depth look at gaming's past year and future prospects. Outline 0:00 - Introduction & Overview 2:15 - 2024 Year in Review Overview 3:30 - Gaming Recession Deep Dive (Industry layoffs, Shift in cost-cutting approaches) 7:45 - Live Service Games Dominance (Steam engagement statistics, Why established games maintain power) 12:30 - China's Gaming Success Story (Mobile market dominance, HD gaming breakthrough, Strategic advantages) 18:15 - Live Operations Excellence (Brawl Stars case study, Impact on game performance) 22:45 - UGC Platform Challenges (Monetization struggles, Platform economics) 26:30 - 2025 Predictions Overview 27:45 - New Development Models (Shift from traditional approaches, Efficiency focus) 32:15 - AI Integration in Gaming (Three levels of integration, Future possibilities) 37:30 - Market Recovery Catalysts (Key upcoming releases, Market conditions) 42:15 - Companies to Watch (Detailed analysis of key players, Growth opportunities) 48:30 - Industry Transformation (Workforce changes, Operational shifts) 53:15 - Conclusion & Key Takeaways 55:00 - Final Thoughts

Economics & Advantages of Mobile Web Stores ft. Gil Tov-ly from AppCharge

Nov 1, 2024 43 min

We discuss the impact, economics, and advantages of mobile web stores in a deep discussion with Gil Tov-ly, the CMO of AppCharge, a company that partners with game studios to build optimized web stores. OUTLINE: 0:00 Intro 1:13 Motivation and economics of mobile web stores: Huge 20-30% total revenue lift 3:42 Amount of transactions through web stores vs. direct IAP, what impacts more web store transactions? 9:34 How web stores can support VIP spenders 10:40 Typical web store support provided by companies like AppCharge 11:40 impact of web stores 13:48 The player experience with web stores 18:32 breakdown of support services to help developers roll out a web store 25:25 How to evaluate webstore partners 28:25 Current legal and regulatory environment around web stores - what are the limitations? 31:18 Rise of alternative app stores and side-loading 32:30 Building direct relationships with customers by having your own web store 36:25 What does the future look like for player monetization channels in 5-10 years 39:30 More info about AppCharge - what is their promotional pitch? 👇 EPISODE LINKS: - AppCharge: https://appcharge.com/ - Gil Tov-ly: https://www.linkedin.com/in/giltovly/ SUBSCRIBE TO GAMEMAKERS: - Spotify Podcast: https://spoti.fi/3Cpyq7i - Newsletter: https://gamemakers.substack.com/ 😃 —CONNECT WITH ME! — • MY INSTAGRAM → @jokim1 • TWITTER → @jokim1 • LINKEDIN → https://www.linkedin.com/in/jokim/ — POPULAR CONTENT — 🤑 Economy of the Metaverse with Tim Sweeney https://youtu.be/h6ClJxjuRvw ℹ️ How to Build the Amazon of Game Companies https://youtu.be/bkd2TOpKt4I 🔮 Gaming Trends | A Look Ahead at 2021 https://youtu.be/NejFzHtpiZI 🖥️ The Future of PC Gaming https://youtu.be/_QT7O3Wxi2s 🔴 Games Industry M&A https://youtu.be/65nyPk6WNrs 🔴 Netcode for Multiplayer Games https://youtu.be/tHq3PzmjhLw 🔴 IDFA Deprecation Product Impact https://youtu.be/Ojec4wGKpso 🔴 Trip Hawkins on the New High Score https://youtu.be/5egTSQ6AiRA 🔴 LiveOps F2P Best Pract...

Game Industry Hot Takes: Ubisoft's Struggles, Unity's Revival, and Microsoft's Game Pass Gambit

Oct 30, 2024 1 hr 6 min

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

EXPOSING Mobile Performance Marketing Secrets! UA in 2024 and Beyond with Warren Woodward

Oct 24, 2024 57 min

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

Chinese Gaming Giants: Tencent vs. Netease | Pixels & Profits

Aug 18, 2024 1 hr 0 min

We dive deep into the fierce competition between Tencent and NetEase—two titans shaping the global gaming landscape. Discover how these companies are navigating the challenges of the Chinese market and their strategies for international expansion. We also share our personal experiences about Tencent and provide insider insights you can't find anywhere else. Don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more industry insights! 🚀 #Gaming #Tencent #NetEase #GameIndustry #PixelsAndProfits OUTLINE: 0:00 Intro 1:50 Tencent business overview 4:50 Tencent margins & operational efficiency 8:06 Tencent internal studios 10:30 How Tencent worked with Glu - Brian and JK personal stories 18:15 The Tencent game dev model 21:08 Potential IP conflicts - Apex Legends Mobile case study 23:40 Tencent as bully 25:22 Tencent game company holdings 27:16 Tencent key growth opportunities 33:50 Tencent key challenges 40:55 Geo-political factors involved with Tencent 47:07 Tencent valuation 51:51 Netease business overview 54:21 Brian’s take on new Netease survival game 56:00 Netease internal studios 57:34 Netease growth opportunities 1:01:55 Netease valuation 1:02:55 Netease challenges 1:04:03 Tencent vs. Netease future outlook SUBSCRIBE TO GAMEMAKERS: - Spotify Podcast: https://spoti.fi/3Cpyq7i - Newsletter: https://gamemakers.substack.com/ 😃 —CONNECT WITH ME! — • MY INSTAGRAM → @jokim1 • TWITTER → @jokim1 • LINKEDIN → https://www.linkedin.com/in/jokim/ — POPULAR CONTENT — 🤑 Economy of the Metaverse with Tim Sweeney https://youtu.be/h6ClJxjuRvw ℹ️ How to Build the Amazon of Game Companies https://youtu.be/bkd2TOpKt4I 🔮 Gaming Trends | A Look Ahead at 2021 https://youtu.be/NejFzHtpiZI 🖥️ The Future of PC Gaming https://youtu.be/_QT7O3Wxi2s 🔴 Games Industry M&A https://youtu.be/65nyPk6WNrs 🔴 Netcode for Multiplayer Games https://youtu.be/tHq3PzmjhLw 🔴 IDFA Deprecation Product Impact https://youtu.be/Ojec4wGKpso 🔴 Trip Hawkins on the New High Score https://youtu.be/5egTS...

Mastering F2P Cosmetics Monetization in Games

Aug 16, 2024 59 min

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

Brawl Stars Godzilla Event Product Roundtable Discussion | Liquid & Grit x Gamemakers

Jul 21, 2024 53 min

We partnered with Liquid & Grit to discuss the Brawl Stars Godzilla event, which had a massive impact on Brawl Stars' revenue and downloads. - Highest weekly revenue ever - 59% revenue increase and 107% downloads increase 3Wo3W We review the event and discuss the implications and lessons learned. Discussion Outline: 00:00 - Introduction of the roundtable, Joseph Kim, and the participants. 00:12 - Introduction of Joseph Kim and his work. 01:18 - Overview of Brawl Stars and its game modes. 02:07 - Discussion on the popularity of Brawl Stars among kids. 03:08 - Joseph Kim discusses game design and the success of isometric games. 03:50 - Comparison between Brawl Stars and Wild Rift in terms of game depth and modes. 04:42 - Observations on the female player base in Brawl Stars. 05:50 - Insights on why kids prefer Brawl Stars, focusing on game modes .06:37 - Discussion on the decline of Fortnite and its impact on Brawl Stars. 07:33 - Introduction to the Godzilla event, its content, and game modes. 09:38 - Analysis of the event's impact on revenue and downloads. 11:18 - Explanation of event mechanics, including Monster Eggs and mutations. 13:02 - Discussion on player reactions to the temporary nature of mutations. 14:52 - Community reactions to pay-to-win elements and their temporary nature. 16:26 - Speculation on the potential return of the Godzilla event in the future. 17:18 - Discussion on the game mode experience and its balance. 18:40 - Participant's experience with the event and mutations. 20:53 - Discussion on club engagement and the club event mechanics. 21:46 - Description of the Godzilla City Smash game mode. 23:36 - Thoughts on the choice of the Godzilla IP for the event. 25:55 - In-depth discussion on the temporary nature of mutations and player perceptions. 27:04 - Considerations on event mechanics and their impact on player engagement and revenue. 28:30 - Speculations on legal implications of temporary in-game purchases. 30:17 - Di...

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Podcast details

Created by: Joseph Kim
Status: Active
Latest episode: Nov 13, 2026
Episodes: 192
Release period: Occasionally
Avg. episode length: 51 min
Explicit: No
Language: English

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