Avihay Hermon

Still buzzing about the Playtika x SuperPlay acquisition? Same here 🙋‍♂️ While the ink is barely dry, the impact is starting to hit home. 1️⃣ This is a big wake-up call for the mobile gaming industry (in a good way!). With potential deal value of nearly $2 billion, it's proof that quality games with strong monetization are more valuable than ever. As UA costs continue to climb, the question is whether we'll see more M&A activity in Q4 and into 2025 as bigger players look to snap up proven hit-makers (my bet is there's more to come😏). 2️⃣ $700 million upfront is impressive, but let's talk about the $1.25 billion in earnouts. This deal structure SCREAMS "show me the LTV!" It's another sign long-term player engagement reigns supreme. This is a bullish signal for rewarded ad networks. It's no secret SuperPlay was one of the top spenders in the space, using platforms like Playback Rewards to acquire high-quality players and push them further down funnel. 3️⃣ With Dice Dreams and Domino Dreams under their umbrella -- two titles that raked in $220 million in IAP revenue alone over the last year -- Playtika isn't just buying revenue. They're also acquiring new distribution channels to cross-promote their existing social casino games. Given rising UA costs and privacy hurdles, it's a smart move on paper. For smaller studios, it highlights the continued importance of strong partnerships and thinking outside the traditional UA box. However you look at it, this deal shows that mobile studios who find smart ways to scale in today's tough market can -- and will! -- be rewarded 🚀 #mobilegames #mergersandacquisitions #useracquisition

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It's hard to find good KOLs these days. The ones that are good are also expensive. How can you use the help from KOLs and build a long term relationship? this is the secret source in web3. The so called "KOL rounds" that everyone is talking about, is about to vanish. Why? Well why should a #KOL / #influencer invest his own money, then market the project for free ? while he / she can get 4-5 more money from promoting the project We need a #new #marketing #approach

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WTF 😳 the “play to earn” telegram mini app game Hamster Kombat has gained 239M users in just 3 months! CEO of Telegram Pavel Durov says that the app will introduce the next 200 Million TON wallet owners because of its growing success and upcoming airdrop. $HMSTR token has not yet hit exchanges however is due to be launched later this month on various DEXs and CEXs including Binance Bybit and OKX Learn more about the gaming sensation here on the #WTFCrypto blog on medium. Remember to subscribe while you are there. #cryptonews #TON #Telegram #cryptocurrencynews #HamsterKombat #gamefi.

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⚡ Sunshine Factory Media ⚡ https://lnkd.in/dn9bGD5d    🔊 #Hire me  🔊 Warner Bros. Discovery 🔊 YouTube #My MEDIA company, My #Journey, and My #Truth I am definitely blessed by "The Powers That Be" (PTBs). I am amazed I have lasted this long. I am security professional: Electronic, Social, and Physical (ESP). Some people call me a "hacker", I personally dislike the moniker. I'm nobody from nowhere who likes to play with computers and is positive with each additional breath of life that in the grand scheme of things, I know absolutely nothing. Well... that is only partly true, I obviously know some things and I had to have come from somewhere. I am a street kid and was a bit of a runaway. I grew up on the streets of El Paso Texas. My dad was a Vietnam veteran and government employee who worked for the then Department of Treasury until his retirement. He passed away in 2012 and I gave his eulogy. This at first glance would not seem odd, but it is, my father and I were not very close. I spent most of my life avoiding my family. The eulogy started me on a journey that I would never had predicted. I had to figure out who my dad was and as a side-effect, I stumbled upon who I was. My dad was a computer guy, punch cards, before Vietnam. He was sent to Vietnam as a "computer guy" but where he was sent there were no computers. My dad ended up doing logistics and deciding which platoons would be sent to the field. A position that elicited bribery from his fellow warfighters. You see, the did not want to be sent to the field. I think that is a natural inclination... the desire to stay alive. I only mention this because I became a computer guy too. Not only would I be a computer guy, I would also serve the U.S. Army Research Laboratory in what was called Information Warfare. I have to mention this was not my 1st experience with the military. I was 17 when I took my 1st oath with the Marine Corps. This made my dad very upset his opinion was that a military career was not for me. Even though my father had a government job we were still poor. I had no way to pay for college and I desperately wanted to exit my situation. I had the grades, I was an athlete, and I had nowhere else to turn... perfect material for the military. I have to mention that my family barely found out about the Marine Corps. That is how private I am. I lived by the philosophy of "Trust No One" (TNO) for most of my life. This is included my family. An #AI was not touched in the writing of this article. (More to come...)

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Founders, 15 VCs investing in the gaming space. Ranked by fund size. 1. Griffin Gaming Partners - $1.3b  2. Makers Fund - $960m  3. BITKRAFT Ventures - $823m  4. The Games Fund - $600m  5. Galaxy Interactive - $585m  6. Hiro Capital - $486m 7. Lightspeed gaming - $450m 8. Play Ventures - $310m 9. Konvoy Ventures - $270m 10. vgames - $201m 11. Lvp - $138m 12. Dune Ventures - $100m 13. Lumikai Fund - $100m 14. MGVC - $100m 15. Mechanism Capital - $100m Fundraising has been really tough for the gaming industry over the past couple of years. It feels like things are moving in the right direction though. With Roblox increasing their revenue share, Apple opening up their app stores to the competition, margins will hopefully improve. Paving the way for more profitable studios, and platforms.

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𝐄𝐱𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞: 𝐎𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐀𝐈 𝐜𝐨-𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐮𝐭𝐬𝐤𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫'𝐬 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐞𝐭𝐲-𝐟𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐀𝐈 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐩 𝐒𝐒𝐈 𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐬 $1 𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐨𝐧 🤑 🚀 Safe Superintelligence (SSI), a new AI startup co-founded by Ilya Sutskever, has raised an impressive $1 billion to develop safe AI systems that go beyond human capabilities! With just 10 employees, SSI is already making waves, valued at $5 billion according to sources. 💰 🧠 The funding will be used to acquire computing power and attract top talent, with a focus on creating a highly trusted team of researchers and engineers. SSI is all about building a culture of integrity and extraordinary capability, rather than just credentials. 🌍 Backed by top VCs like Andreessen Horowitz, Sequoia Capital, DST Global, and SV Angel, SSI's mission is clear: to safely scale AI in a new and thoughtful way. It's exciting to see how SSI will navigate this journey while partnering with cloud and chip companies for their infrastructure needs. SSI is different from OpenAI, although both are focused on advancing AI technology. While OpenAI aims to develop AI systems in a broadly beneficial way, SSI specifically focuses on creating safe superintelligence, prioritizing safety and ethical considerations even more rigorously. SSI was founded by Ilya Sutskever, who was previously with OpenAI, but it operates independently with a distinct mission and approach. This new venture is not directly helping OpenAI; instead, it's another player in the AI field working on similar goals with a strong emphasis on AI safety. 🔥 As AI continues to advance, companies like SSI are leading the charge to ensure these powerful tools align with human values. Let's see how this plays out in the ever-evolving AI landscape! Robert Kinerk 👨‍💻 #AI #Startup #Innovation #AIFuture #TechNews

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New preprint alert 📢 GLEE: A Unified Framework and Benchmark for Language-based Economic Environments Joint with Omer Madmon, Itamar Reinman, Samuel AMOUYAL, Roi Reichart, moshe tennenholtz We introduce GLEE, a framework and benchmark for Games in Language-based Economic Environments, and utilize it to collect and publish a dataset containing over 7M decisions made by LLM-based agents in over 900k games! 🤯 Recent research has increasingly focused on applications of LLMs in multi-agent economic and strategic interactions, demonstrating both the potential and the limitations of LLM-based agents. Prime examples include negotiation, bargaining, and persuasion, in which language plays a crucial role in strategic behavior and economic outcomes. As different studies often take diverse modeling approaches, pose unique research questions, and use different evaluation criteria, there is a growing need for a unified framework for: Definition and parameterization of such language-based games. Simulation and data collection. Analysis and evaluation according to a diverse set of evaluation metrics. Our framework contributes to this effort by introducing a clear parametrization of sequential, two-player, language-based economic setups. Our parametrization relies on foundations from economic theory and defines a consistent set of degrees of freedom (such as complete vs. incomplete information, time horizon, and structured vs. linguistic communication). We release code for simulating games using LLM agents and collect a large dataset containing decisions made in a wide variety of 🤖 vs. 🤖 games. In addition, we develop an interface for collecting data from 👩 vs. 🤖 games and collect an additional dataset containing those games. These datasets are public and can be used by the ML community (and beyond) for a variety of research goals. We demonstrate the potential of our framework and dataset in addressing a wide range of research questions. First, we use it to evaluate both LLM-based agents and human players in terms of both individual measures (self-gain 💰) and collective measures (efficiency and fairness⚖️). Second, we demonstrate how different characteristics of the economic environments (i.e., game parameters) affect the outcome reached by the agents. For instance, how counterintuitively, complete information can sometimes reduce economic efficiency, and how the use of free language communication can improve it. Check out the paper for further details, examples, and discussion on the potential of GLEE in contributing to the intersection of LLMs, ML, and economics. Paper: https://lnkd.in/dzwtihdk Code and Data: https://lnkd.in/dna3U3Dv

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Gumi Inc, one of the largest Web2 gaming publishers worldwide, is joining INJECTIVE as its latest validator This marks a significant addition to the leading group of global validators powering Injective, now one of the largest proof-of-stake (PoS) networks in history. 🎮 gumi boasts millions of active gamers across some of the most popular mobile gaming titles to date. Now, gumi aims to pioneer a new era of GameFi alongside Injective. Let's dive in! 👇 What is gumi? As the leading Japanese mobile game company, gumi has been a major player in the mobile online gaming industry. Recently, they have extended their reach into exploring innovative Web3 technologies. 🌐🔍 📱 gumi has created some of the largest mobile games to date. In recent years, they have also ventured into Web3 gaming, building out a venture arm that includes investments across gaming, VR, AR, and more. 🚀💡 🌟 gumi’s Value in the Injective Ecosystem gumi’s onboarding will further develop Injective’s international footprint in Japan, where over five million people own crypto. This collaboration opens exciting new avenues for Web3 gaming. 🕹️🌏 🔗 gumi plans to bring its expertise and traditional gaming users into the Injective ecosystem, paving the way for Injective's global expansion across Japan, Asia, and beyond. 🌍📈 🏛️ Institutional Web2 validators like gumi are crucial for increasing the fast-growing institutional inflow into the broader Injective ecosystem. Injective aims to integrate the best of Web2 into Web3, and gumi is another step towards that vision. 🧩💪 🌐 With the onboarding of gumi, Injective continues on its path of rapid global expansion and remains at the forefront of the Web3 industry. Stay tuned for more updates as we pioneer the future of GameFi together! 🚀🎮 #GameFi #Injective #Web3

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Need more revenues but do not want to run full screen ads on your game? Anzu.io got you covered. Meet Irma Harlann 🔜 gamescom, Jascha Maijer and me at #gamescomgamescom to learn more. Anzu.io - intrinsic in-#game advertising ad #monetization 

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Interesting developments

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🎙️ Introducing The ABXY Podcast with Ziad 🎮 I’m excited to launch a new podcast series where I host the doers who have shaped the MENA region's game development scene long before it became a trending topic. Join me as I dive into their inspiring journeys, uncover the reasons behind their passion for game development, and hear their stories of both triumphs and challenges. In each episode, we’ll explore: - The people who are making waves in MENA’s game development landscape - Innovative projects currently in the works - Government initiatives supporting the industry - Investment in the region from founders and Investors - Fascinating entrepreneurial stories and insights on transforming MENA into a potential global game development powerhouse Tune in to The ABXY Podcast with Ziad and get an inside look at the world of game development in the MENA region! #MENA #Podcast #Entrepreneurship #GamingIndustry

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🌟 I’m excited to speak at the Health 2.0 Conference on December 4th in Dubai about "The Role of AI in Transforming Healthcare for Vulnerable Populations" When we talk about “vulnerable,” it’s not just about those who are unwell—it includes people who lack access to affordable, effective care. This is where AI becomes a game-changer, creating accessible solutions that reach everyone, no matter their circumstances. 💡 Accessibility isn’t just about technology—it’s about breaking barriers and ensuring care is a right, not a privilege. Let’s use AI to create inclusive healthcare solutions that truly transform lives. At VitalPlay, we’ve built Serenium, a therapeutic ADHD app powered by AI. 🎮🧠 It’s designed to be mobile-first, making therapy affordable and accessible for families globally—even in low-resource settings. By adapting to each child’s unique needs, it offers a fun, personalized path to better focus and self-regulation. Looking forward to sharing these insights at Health 2.0 Conference and collaborating on innovative ideas! #Health #Conference #Dubai #HealthConference #DubaiEvents #Health2Conf #vitalplay

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𝗕𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗸𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗖𝗿𝘆𝗽𝘁𝗼. 𝗕𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗸𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗖𝗿𝘆𝗽𝘁𝗼! 𝗕𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗸𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗖𝗿𝘆𝗽𝘁𝗼!!! I was having lunch with a VC friend, and he used the word "crypto" to explain why he isn’t interested in Web3 gaming. His penance... read this post 😱. Technological advancements are often misunderstood or misrepresented due to their complexity. That is the case with blockchain and cryptocurrency. While these terms are frequently used interchangeably, they are not synonymous. Blockchain is a foundational technology, while cryptocurrency is merely one of its many applications. 𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝑩𝒍𝒐𝒄𝒌𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒊𝒏? At its core, blockchain is a distributed ledger technology (DLT) that records transactions across a network of computers in a way that ensures the data is secure, transparent, and immutable. Every participant in the network has access to the entire ledger, ensuring transparency and trust without the need for a central authority. 𝑩𝒍𝒐𝒄𝒌𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒊𝒏 𝑩𝒆𝒚𝒐𝒏𝒅 𝑪𝒓𝒚𝒑𝒕𝒐𝒄𝒖𝒓𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒚 Cryptocurrency, most notably Bitcoin, was the first and remains the most well-known application of blockchain technology. However, blockchain is MUCH bigger than crypto. As I have written before, blockchain can be applied in various sectors, from finance to the creative economy, from gaming to the global supply chain. 𝑾𝒉𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑪𝒐𝒏𝒇𝒖𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏? The confusion between blockchain and cryptocurrency stems from crypto being the first application of blockchain and tremendous media focus on the speculative bubbles. Bitcoin, as the first successful implementation of blockchain technology, became a household name. 𝑪𝒐𝒏𝒄𝒍𝒖𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏 Blockchain is not crypto; rather, crypto is an application of blockchain. It popularized blockchain, but it is just one of many ways this technology can be used. As industries continue to explore and implement blockchain technology, its impact is likely to extend far beyond digital currencies, offering solutions to challenges across many domains that haven't been thought of yet. The future of blockchain is not limited to cryptocurrency, and its potential is only beginning to be realized. Photo credit DALL-E

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Building a Global Gaming Ecosystem with WePlay Hub: Achievements and Future Goals 🌟 At WePlay Ventures, our goal has always been to foster innovation and growth within the gaming industry. Today, as we embark on the journey of our 4th batch with WePlay HUB, I am thrilled to reflect on our accomplishments and share our ambitious goals for the future. Since the inception of WePlay Hub, we have successfully launched four batches, encompassing a total of 50 studios across 12 different countries. Here’s a quick look at our journey so far: 🔸 Batch 1: 13 studios from 5 countries 🔸 Batch 2: 11 studios from 3 countries 🔸 Batch 3: 16 studios from 4 countries 🔸 Batch 4: 10 studios from 5 countries These countries are 🇹🇷 🇰🇿 🇳🇴 🇩🇰 🇩🇪 🇷🇴 🇦🇪 🇮🇹 🇷🇸 🇦🇿 🇬🇪 🇺🇿 Our initial investment in BitPet.io marked the beginning of our acceleration investment program. We have continued to support our graduates by assisting them in their investment rounds. Our efforts have also extended to expanding our co-investment networks across Europe and the USA, focusing on scaling our studios globally. Moreover, our growing partner network provides invaluable resources and support to our studios, enhancing their chances of success. 🌍🤝 In July, our Batch 3 Pitch Day brought together key stakeholders from the WePlay Board and the gaming ecosystem to evaluate and celebrate the progress of our participating studios and then we have commenced Batch 4 with 10 studios from 5 different countries, furthering our commitment to global growth and innovation. 🌐🌱 Looking ahead, we have set ambitious goals for WePlay Hub in 3 years: 250+ Gaming Studios in our ecosystem 🎮🏢 26 Countries footprint 🌍📍 400+ Mentors providing guidance and expertise 🧑‍🏫🗺️ 50+ Investments in promising gaming startups 💰🎯 These milestones represent our dedication to building a global community and developing a thriving gaming ecosystem. 🌐✨ #WePlayHub #GamingEcosystem #GlobalCommunity #Innovation #Investment

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Token2049 was a major success 🎇 - 20000+ attendees - 400+ exhibitors - 800+ side events Here are three key takeaways for Chronos Worlds & Sphere Studios from the world’s largest crypto event: 💡High-quality games take time  The most hyped games, including Maple Story Universe and Off the Grid, took the traditional game development route that takes longer, builds behind the scenes, and releases information only closer to launch. 💡Taking advantage of IP games IP games like Ragnarok, Loki, and Maple Story already have established fanbases of massive communities that can be leveraged to introduce Web2 gamers to decentralized gaming, asset ownership, and drive engagement. 💡Gaming opportunities in new markets  Both the Middle East and Asian countries are largely untapped for Web3 gaming despite having large loyal gaming communities and supportive regulatory environments. The right chain or publisher can capture the market by creating high-quality Web3 games that match the quality of Web2 games. What were your takeaways for gaming from Token2049? 💬

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VPLAY: Where Game Studios and Developers Thrive As a dedicated founder, I know the challenges we face. That’s why we developed VPLAY—a platform built by developers, for developers. Our AI-powered chatbot isn’t just a tool; it’s your strategic partner. VPLAY monitors every detail of your P2E game’s performance, offering real-time insights that matter. With VPLAY, you’re not just collecting data—you’re getting actionable insights to refine your strategy, optimize player engagement, and stay ahead in this competitive industry. We’re here to grow with you, adapting as your studio evolves. Join our community! TG: https://lnkd.in/gwez2BH6 Discord: https://lnkd.in/gXTGC7DS

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Who is your real competitor? Our main rivals, for example, aren't other betting sites. We compete with Netflix, TikTok, Instagram, publishers, and even local street food festivals. The baseline is, we are all constantly fighting for the same critical asset: People's attention. Bettors come to us for more than just potential winnings. They crave excitement and engaging experiences, choosing to spend time and money on whoever gives them the biggest thrill. This changes how we think about our business: 1. We're not just in betting; we're in entertainment. 2. Our platform needs to be no less engaging than scrolling through social media. 3. The excitement we provide is just as important as the odds we offer. Redefining your competition opens doors to solutions you never knew existed. So, how does it look in your industry? Who do you truly compete with?

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