Rune Christensen

Friday read for you: What’s next for Europe’s gaming consolidators? Over the past few years, Embracer Group, Stillfront, EG7, Modern Times Group MTG AB, Focus Entertainment, and others have reshaped the European gaming market with bold acquisitions. But what happens now that the M&A frenzy has cooled? The latest InvestGame analysis explores: 🎮 The landmark deals that defined this era of consolidation. 📊 The financial impact of these acquisitions and market trends. 📉 How stock performance has reflected the challenges of integration. 💡 Lessons learned for the future of gaming M&A. Whether you’re a developer, publisher, or industry watcher, this deep dive offers critical insights into the evolving strategies of Europe’s gaming leaders. 👉 Check it out here through the link in the first comment. Then, let me know what you think—what’s your take on Europe’s M&A boom and its future? #gamingindustry #investgame #embracer #stillfront #MTG #mergersandacquisitions

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Sustainable Game Growth and Revenue Optimization. (Sounds pretty easy!) 1. Growth: • Increase Daily Active Users (DAU): Focus on boosting your DAU as it’s directly tied to your game’s daily revenue. • Optimize Acquisition Channels: Regularly monitor your acquisition sources and refine your strategies to reduce Cost Per Acquisition (CPA) while maximizing your marketing budget efficiency. 2. Retention: • Prioritize Retention Rates: High retention rates are essential for the long-term success of your game. • Measure at Key Intervals: Track user retention at critical points (e.g., Day 1, Day 7, Day 30) to identify trends and areas for improvement. • Enhance New User Retention: Develop strategies to keep new players engaged and coming back, building a loyal player base. 3. Engagement: • Track Monthly Active Days: Monitor how many days per month your players are active to gauge overall engagement levels. • Foster Core User Engagement: Ensure your core players are deeply engaged, as they are more likely to make repeated transactions and contribute to higher Lifetime Value (LTV). 4. Monetization: • Focus on Conversions: Work on converting new players into paying users and encourage existing users to make repeated purchases. • Optimize Transaction Values: Increase the average value of each transaction and boost the number of transactions to maximize revenue. 5. Comprehensive Metrics: • Combine DAU with ARPU: Track both DAU and Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) to understand your game’s revenue potential and make data-driven decisions. • Focus on LTV: Use Lifetime Value (LTV) as your guiding metric for long-term planning, ensuring each player brings maximum value over their lifecycle. By balancing efforts across acquisition, retention, engagement, and monetization, you can ensure your game achieves sustainable growth and reaches its full revenue potential.

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Reboot Develop . Come to the IE Law stage at 12:30 and listen to Alexander Bergendahl talk about his impressive background and journey in the game industry 🦜♥️ Title talk "To Be Continued: Lessons Learned from Over a Decade of Game Startups" Strap yourself in as we journey through over 12 years of gaming startups with Alexander Bergendahl. From big wins to tough times (including a bit of bankruptcy and a successful exit), he spills the beans on what it's really like to be an entrepreneur in this industry, and why he (and so many others) keep coming back to it. Get ready for a laid-back, candid exploration of the wild world of gaming startups. Whether you're dreaming of starting your own company, or already run one yourself, this one's for you. Get the inside scoop on grit and innovation in a nutshell!

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Less than a week to go until I attend Brand Licensing Europe in London. 📆 Really looking forward to it, as it offers an opportunity to meet with those brand & IP holders who know they definitely need to "do something in games" but are not sure exactly what! 🤔   It you are a brand, an IP holder or simply a "games-curious" company, there are DEFINITELY great opportunities out there in the video games world to grow your audience, deepen brand affinity and even add major new revenue streams. 🎮   There is also the chance to mess it all up very badly, waste money and destroy brand equity by going into this very complex, fast evolving business without an experienced guide... 📉 Player One Consulting have helped many companies navigate this world, identifying & sizing opportunities, setting up partnerships and advising on successful execution. Having seen what happens when companies try to enter the games world without this advice, we realise that it is a valuable service we're providing! 🚀   I'll be making myself available at #ble24 next week to advise companies on the gaming market, helping them to optimise their licencing decisions, set up great partnerships and (very importantly) avoiding the very expensive & damaging missteps that can occur! 😎   If you'd like to have a conversation with me next week, drop me a comment below or ping over a DM.   Looking forward to seeing you there!   #ble #brandlicencing #gaming #videogames #licensing

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In the latest Elite Game Developers newsletter Edvard Groundstroem, co-founder of Flowstate Games, which shut down recently, shares his learnings. In a typical 🇫🇮 Finnish way, there's zero sugar coating. I recommend everyone to read it. Here are my three key takeaways from the interview: 1️⃣ Have a compelling strategy and adjust your work inside of it rather than pivoting to the new and shiny thing when the going gets rough. Without a strategy, you're making MVPs that lead to failing fast and pivoting too soon into the unknown. While we hear stories of pivots leading to ultimate success, the vast majority of startups (and not only startups...) pivoted themselves to death without ever building any expertise in anything. I've made this mistake multiple times before and only in my startup was I adamant never to switch genres. 2️⃣ Listen to VCs but don't take orders from them. Chasing "product-VC" fit and trying to hit their "flavor of the week KPIs" means that you've handed control of the direction of your company to an external party. I was there too thinking that VCs know it all. It wasn't until I understood that VCs give a perspective not a direction that our execution improved. Listen to VCs but remember that the ultimate decision is on you. 3️⃣ Complacency is the death of execution. Startups should be in code red until they start generating sufficient revenue. Getting funded doesn't mean you're good. It means that you have limited runway to prove you can execute. Edvard Groundstroem put it better than I ever could "Making great commercial products that can scale as a business is hard. Understanding how a game goes from good to great is instrumental, and the only way to gain insight into that is to study games that made it, as well as the ones that seemed liked they would but didn’t." This is painful to read. I've failed at instilling product expertise within everyone in the studio multiple times before thinking that if just a few key people have it, it's enough. I highly recommend Joakim Achren's Elite Game Developers newsletter to everyone working in games. 🙏 thank you Eddie for the public post-mortem! #gameindustry #gamedevelopment

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Interesting report from VG Insights giving some hard numbers on the extra opportunity for building and growing game IPs through other types of media, be they TV, movies, books and more. Too often, game companies are only looking at the direct business opportunities of transmedia projects to determine whether they want to engage into it or not, but the real opportunity is indirect, it is through the engagement of new and existing players, and extra sales of existing games, even with very little is done on older titles. We've seen this on The Witcher, on The Last of Us, now on Fallout, and many more.

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Great article about our latest game launch!

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“The Future of Gaming - UGC is Changing Everything,” is just one of the burning topics we will be delving into with Gamefam at Slush2024. Ping me for more info on how to join our event! Angela Dalton, Nicholas Douzinas, Keshav Holani, Karen Bader, Signum Growth Dot Play

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#Topics Sloyd Raised $3.2M to Accelerate AI 3D Modelling for Creators and Gaming [ad_1] Norway based Sloyd, an AI 3D modelling startup, secured $3.2 million in seed funding from a16z GAMES’ gaming accelerator (SPEEDRUN), Antler, Skyfall Ventures, FreshFund, Acequia Capital, Hartmann Capital, and angel investors. Autodesk also participated with a strategic investment.Founded in 2021, Sloyd is revolutionizing 3D asset creation by enabling creators to design, customize, and implement 3D assets with unmatched ease and efficiency. Their platform leverages generative AI to transform text prompts into game-quality models with clean topology in real-time. By harnessing advanced AI-driven generators based on object archetypes, Sloyd ensures that each asset is optimized and ready for immediate use in various projects.Sloyd’s AI-driven platform integrates prompting, parametric models, and real-time world generation, making high-quality 3D creation accessible for game developers, TV/movie production professionals, and architectural visualization. This innovative solution not only speeds up creation time but also empowers gamers to create 3D assets within games and XR experiences instantly. The platform’s robust web app and SDK further enhance its utility, enabling seamless integra...

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Investment news: Keywords Studios is being acquired by Swedish investment firm @EQT in a deal valued at £2.2 billion The agreement, announced on the London Stock Exchange (below), sees EQT acquiring all of Keywords' issued and to be issued shares for £24.50 per share in cash. EQT, already a player in the gaming industry, strengthens its presence with this acquisition. Keywords Studios offers a comprehensive suite of services, from development and art production to quality assurance, localization, and marketing. This acquisition bolsters EQT's portfolio in the ever-growing gaming landscape. The deal, valued at roughly £2.1 billion on a fully diluted basis, will be financed through a combination of equity and debt by EQT. Finalization is expected in the fourth quarter of 2024. This acquisition signifies a major move in the game services industry. Stay tuned for further updates on how this deal will impact Keywords Studios and the wider gaming landscape. (source: https://lnkd.in/ecT8gwf9)

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Palworld developers do not consider their game a live service game...yet. They face a key decision about whether to keep the game "buy-to-play" or transition it into a "live-service model", according to CEO Takuro Mizobe. While "live-service" could extend the game's lifespan and profitability, Palworld wasn’t originally designed with that model in mind, presenting challenges like the need to make it free-to-play. Mizobe cites examples like PUBG and Fall Guys successfully making this shift but notes it took years. The team is also considering player feedback and other options but hasn’t yet decided on the game's future direction. It sounds like they consider "live service games" having to be free to play, which isn't the case. Sports games, Call of Duty, Grand Theft Auto, plenty of premium games contain live service. Live service games focus on providing ongoing updates and content to keep players engaged long after release. Key characteristics include regular content updates, seasonal events, multiplayer features, and long-term progression. Monetization varies, with games using microtransactions, season passes, or DLC, along with ongoing updates in content. Paid live service games offer initial revenue and potentially less aggressive monetization but face higher barriers to entry and smaller player bases. Both free and paid models can succeed if they provide ongoing value to players. If Pocketpair does go free to play, their cadence of content updates would need to increase.

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Goodbye Slush 2024: as usual, you were great. Did a lot of demos of our forthcoming (Discord-platform defining? 🤞) game - read on for 🚀 feedback - and have some opinions/takeaways on tech, games, and Mojiworks part in the Venn-diagram overlap of the two. I think AI is more likely to become an API for unbundling of specific behaviours & workflows, than a do-everything tool. The LLM training arms-race will commodify them, and there will be lots of interesting startups solving niche-but-big problems with domain-specific expertise sitting on top of LLM APIs. Why? Benedict Evan's great (as usual) presentation https://lnkd.in/eAmK2iA9 has a ton of analysis - and classic Jobsian quotes - that (IMO) points in that direction, plus startups like Finch / Pamela Nunez Wallgren doing super interesting work that's unlocking more creativity by enabling faster experimentation & iteration. The tech industry is bouncing back from the doldrums; the games industry has lagged that by 12-18 months so is near the bottom of the curve, so this wasn't a big games year at Slush. I reckon next year will be on an uptick - the cycle does what it does. Most of the games conversation was about gen-AI. See above. Our game? “It’s so intuitive to play” “This is running in Discord?!” “I love the art style!” “This is going to be huge” The work continues (soon to soft launch). See you next year, Slush! I love you. Big thanks to London Games Festival for including us in their cohort, and Lifeline Ventures Petteri Koponen Accel for the meeting tent/food/coffee/etc!

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How RLUSD Can Transform XRPL and Boost XRP’s Value Have you been wondering how the introduction of RLUSD could impact XRP's price? Let’s break it down: 🔹 Increased Activity on XRPL As RLUSD transactions grow, XRPL sees more utility. XRP, being the native currency, is used for transaction fees and as a bridge asset—driving demand. 🔹 Utility as a Bridge Asset XRPL is built for seamless cross-asset transfers, with XRP often acting as the bridge. RLUSD adoption can significantly enhance XRP's utility in this role. 🔹 Liquidity Boost RLUSD issuance adds liquidity to XRPL, attracting traders and institutions. Higher liquidity increases XRP’s usage for fees and bridges, creating a virtuous cycle of demand. 🔹 Integration with DeFi As RLUSD integrates into XRPL’s DeFi ecosystem, XRP will power decentralized applications (dApps), expanding its relevance and use case. 🔹 Strengthening Market Sentiment RLUSD’s success demonstrates XRPL’s robustness, boosting market confidence in XRP and attracting speculative and institutional interest. 🔹 Lessons from Ethereum and Tron On Ethereum, stablecoins like USDT and USDC drove DEX volumes, liquidity, and adoption. On Tron, USDT became a go-to for low-cost remittances. RLUSD could position XRPL as a leader in efficient, low-cost payments. 🔹 Scarcity Value Every RLUSD transaction burns a small amount of XRP, reducing supply over time and potentially increasing its scarcity-driven value. Why It Matters Stablecoins like RLUSD aren’t just transactional tools—they amplify ecosystem growth. For XRPL, RLUSD could drive: ✅ More transactions ✅ Increased liquidity ✅ DeFi opportunities ✅ Cross-border payment solutions ✅ Greater market confidence As RLUSD adoption grows, XRP stands to benefit. The potential for increased utility, demand, and confidence positions XRP at the heart of XRPL’s transformation. What’s your take on the future of RLUSD and XRP? Let’s discuss! #RLUSD #XRP #XRPL #Crypto #DeFi #Stablecoins #Blockchain #Payments

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I’m excited to be giving a talk at the upcoming XP Game Summit in Toronto. When I was first asked to speak as part of the business track, my instinct was to repurpose a presentation that I originally gave at a university a decade ago, then updated and presented in Malta last year, titled Negotiating and Deal-Making 101. The presentation was a hit both with independent developers and publishers alike. But I hesitated: is this topic really appropriate given the chaos in the games industry and related job market? Might I come across as tone deaf? So I changed gears and thought that I might instead focus on another on-the-shelf presentation from the same time period, focused on company culture. I figured that with so many people searching for their next role, it might be helpful to understand how company culture is developed and how you can help shape it and how it plays a role in hiring and promotions. But as I got into it, I realized that a lot has happened in the world since I crafted this material a decade ago, a lot has evolved over the years, and some of it requires nuance and care to cover – all of which will take considerable time to prepare for. So what to do? Well, I’ve reconsidered and decided to go with my original gut. Yes, the job market is extremely difficult right now, but more and more people are taking a leap into the unknown by founding their own studios, and more and more people are on the market looking for their next position. Like it or not, and no matter how lopsided the leverage (I call this a “buyer’s market”), these people still have to navigate business negotiations, and often with very little related experience under their belt. Perhaps now more than ever some of the guidance and tips in this presentation will be helpful to people, as the state of the market has likely left them negotiating with a weak hand to start. So, without further ado, I’m excited to share that I’ll be doing a presentation titled “Negotiating and Deal-Making 101” at 4pm on Thursday, June 13th at the XP Game Summit in Toronto. If you’re at the conference please consider attending my session, as I’d love to see some friendly faces in the audience.

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Epic Games ZZT to UEFN: The UGC DNA Epic Games has always been at the forefront of innovation, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in the gaming world. From the early days of ZZT to the modern marvel that is Unreal Engine for Fortnite (UEFN), Epic’s journey is a testament to the power and potential of usergenerated content (UGC).  A Legacy of Creativity Back in 1991, Epic released ZZT, a simple game with a robust editor that empowered players to create their own adventures. This move sparked a wave of creativity, allowing users to shape their gaming experiences and share their creations with the world. ZZT was more than a game; it was a platform for expression and innovation.  Chronology of Epic Games' UGC Evolution 1. 1991: ZZT     Game: ZZT     Features: Textbased adventure, builtin editor     Impact: Sparked UGC revolution, thousands of usercreated worlds 2. 1998: Unreal     Game: Unreal     Features: Advanced 3D graphics, Unreal Engine 1     Impact: Modding community began to thrive, significant in FPS genre 3. 2006: Unreal Engine 3     Game: Unreal Tournament 3     Features: Unreal Engine 3, more accessible modding tools     Impact: Broader adoption of UGC, expanded community engagement 4. 2017: Fortnite     Game: Fortnite Battle Royale     Features: Unreal Engine 4, Creative Mode     Impact: Over 350 million players, extensive UGC ecosystem, millions of custom maps 5. 2020: Unreal Engine 5 Announcement     Engine: Unreal Engine 5     Features: Nanite virtualized geometry, Lumen global illumination     Impact: Raised bar for graphical fidelity, enhanced creative possibilities 6. 2022: Unreal Engine for Fortnite (UEFN)     Tool: UEFN     Features: Integration with Fortnite, advanced creation tools     Impact: Millions of new usercreated content pieces, deeper player engagement  The Impact of UGC The transition from ZZT to UEFN highlights a significant shift in the gaming industry’s landscape. UGC has transformed passive players into active creators, fostering a communitydriven ecosystem where imagination is the only limit. This democratization of game development has led to a surge in diverse, innovative content, enriching the gaming experience for millions.  Statistics:    ZZT: Thousands of usercreated levels    Unreal Series: Over 10,000 mods created    Fortnite: Over 350 million registered players, millions of custom maps in Creative Mode Fortnite Creative Stats: Over 100 million players have engaged with Fortnite Creative Mode. 50% of playtime in Fortnite is spent on UGC content. Millions of custom islands have been created by players. Why It Matters Epic’s embrace of UGC underscores the importance of player agency and creativity. By providing powerful tools and platforms, Epic has not only nurtured a generation of game developers but also created a vibrant, inclusive community. This approach aligns perfectly with the trends we see today, where personalization and community engagement are paramount.  

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In an article in GamesIndustry.Biz, Sophie McEvoy dig into why the games industry in Sweden is still growing. (despite the harsh climate we’ve experienced globally in recent years) “Swedish developers are feeling somewhat optimistic as the local development scene continues to experience rapid growth.” She writes after talking to Per Strömbäck, spokesperson at Dataspelsbranschen / Swedish Games Industry, Oskar Wolontis, COO at Hazelight Studios and Christian Lövstedt, general manager at Midjiwan AB - Polytopia Strömbäck notes that “while there are fewer vacancies at the moment due to the current global economic turmoil, there aren't as many layoffs as in some other places, and the industry here is still growing. The number of people working in the industry having grown from 2,500 to 8,500 people in the last decade” This success has not come without challenges however For Midjiwan, recruiting locally has been challenging because "the demand for talented game developers far exceeds supply" Christian states "As a smaller studio, we face extra difficulties in attracting the best local talent since people tend to gravitate towards the bigger studios, believing it's safer (which is incorrect in our case)." Oskar agrees, "The interest in investing in the Swedish game development industry in recent years has been higher than the local talent pool can reasonably support," he explains. The good news for Swedish game developers is that remote has opened up the possibility to utilize a much larger and global talent pool to support continued growth. From my experience working with providing Swedish studios with senior global talent for 3 years now, I can say that our Swedish work culture, success rate and innovation spirit has not gone unnoticed by developers globally. People want to work with Swedish studios. And now it’s easier than ever. The Swedish games industry is growing, and with our great reputation we have a unique opportunity to leverage the power of remote to continue getting more hit titles out. Remote work in games has so many benefits in my humble opinion The studios get a smoother production with fast access to the right people The developer get to work on games they are passionate about The talent is developed and kept within gaming Increased diversity benefits productivity While it may not be for all and for all situations, it sure has a lot of upsides for those who can make it work.

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What a year it's been for Gaimin Gladiators! We've made a gladiatorial return to the competitive Counter-Strike scene! With the addition of a Danish squad formerly known as ECSTATIC, our ranks are now bolstered with considerable firepower. After all, who doesn't appreciate Danish CS, right?!?! Having secured multiple titles across various platforms, we are solidifying our presence in the industry and setting a precedent for the Esports World Cup. After extensive negotiations involving lawyers and agencies, I'm delighted to announce that we've successfully acquired the top 17 world ranking team according to HLTV. The recent signings, who previously competed under the ECSTATIC banner, made their mark at the PGL Major Copenhagen 2024, securing positions between 12th and 14th. Despite their youth, they've demonstrated their capability to contend at the highest level of CS play. With the likes and experience of coach Peter "casle" Toftbo Ardenskjold" guiding these young talents, their journey promises exciting development. Counter-Strike is a pivotal title in the esports landscape. Yes, it's fiercely competitive, and yes, there are inherent risks. However, as an organization, we believe the timing is opportune. Investing in CS allows us to maximize our resources in one of the premier titles in esports. AND We are ecstatic to be here :) I'd also like to extend my appreciation to our partners who have been with us since day one, supporting us throughout this journey as Gladiators! Gaimin Winline BNB Chain Innovation CoinMarketCap 开云体育Kaiyun Sports

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