Arron Goolsbey

Come learn about Xsolla's strategies to improve your mobile games revenue.

89

Dive into the world of technology with EA's latest update on Boom Tech in EA SPORTS Madden NFL 25. Discover how this technology is revolutionizing the gaming experience.

2

"As we grew the game industry a hundredfold, 75% of the time investors could prove the game biz would always fail." — Bing Gordon, xCEO of EA and Partner at Kleiner, Perkins, Caufield & Byers. Mobile gaming has been declared dead more than once. Supposedly, it has matured again and it's time to move on to the next big thing. Yet Roblox revenue is up 31% year over year, and daily active users are up 27% (https://lnkd.in/gDvn5KeK). How can that be? Anyone with kids doesn’t need these Roblox numbers to see that the next generation consumes content differently. When they enter the workforce, they’ll spend on mobile games and apps, valuing this digital interaction more than previous generations and in ways we may not yet understand. I’m aware of today’s challenges—I feel them as a supplier to mobile gaming companies. But I’ve been in this industry long enough to know that real growth often comes from unexpected places. Analysts often do not include these unexpected forces in their predictions. https://lnkd.in/gp8vf9Dq

16

📰 Sony has crushed the launches of Helldivers and Shadow of Erdtree but shut down Concord after two weeks. Valve launched Deadlock without a landing page and has kept its organization under 400 employees for most of its history. Roblox posted 80M DAU and 17B hours of engagement in Q2 2024 and plans to open a marketplace to sell avatar bundles. Microsoft has completed the acquisition of Activision Blizzard King, sold Tango Softworks, and is raising prices on Game Pass. These platforms -- and platforms in the sense that they are marketplaces and suppliers beyond hardware -- have shown resilience and excellence in asymmetric growth and scalability and have an inordinate impact on how the rest of the industry behaves. But what industry diagnostics are exhorting Sony, Microsoft, Valve, and Roblox to build and move against their strategies? More importantly, will it work, and if not, where are the gaps? Ben Feder, Managing Partner at TIRTA Ventures, and Ken Wee, ex-CSO of Activision Blizzard, share their strategic expertise. 🔊 We discuss: Macro trends over the past 3-4 years in the games business. Competition. Entrants. Suppliers. Customers. Substitutes. We like Porter's 5 Forces. 5️⃣ 👊 Microsoft Sony Valve Roblox Deep dives. What are their long-term strategies and are they positioned for success? What notable decisions have these companies made across staffing, investments, acquisitions, divestments, game launches, and partnerships? What would we do differently? That and more! Listen to the full episode on Naavik's Spotify, Apple, or YouTube in the comments.

72

6 Comments

How do puzzle games use Loss Aversion to monetize level fails? Based on the Playliner research, here are the most common things a player will lose if they fail: • Win streaks progress • Lives • Season pass keys • Event stage rewards • Tournament position • Additional rewards • Infinite Boosters time • x2 Level Multiplier It’s all about the fear of losing – and driving that next purchase to keep playing. What do you think? Is it a fair strategy or too much pressure? Data Source: Playliner

313

19 Comments

Capcom has released a less-than-positive annual report. There's nothing critical in it; all the declines are tied to a pause in releases. Capcom certainly has a vast catalog of successful franchises for upcoming releases. Resident Evil (RE) stands out distinctly. While Capcom didn't start with RE, it played a crucial role in their history and has had a significant impact on the gaming industry as a whole. Today, RE comprises 32 releases across 33 platforms. These are incredible numbers and a testament to success. Moreover, judging by Metacritic scores, Capcom manages to maintain a high standard of quality. I gathered a timeline of all RE releases on one website (link in the comments). I thoroughly enjoyed watching videos, reading books, reminiscing about my own experiences playing the games, and playing with friends and colleagues. Here are a few interesting facts about RE and Capcom: - Resident Evil 4 was released on 14 platforms. - The first RE took 3 years to develop, instead of the usual 3-6 months for Capcom in 1996. Consultants hired from the U.S. advised shutting down the project when it was almost complete, predicting its failure. - Devil May Cry and Dino Crisis were born while searching for fresh gameplay for RE. - Capcom was one of the first companies to start paying revenue shares to developers, which is particularly noteworthy for Japanese companies. - Toy Story I and RE I were released around the same time. - For a while, music for RE was composed by a well-known Japanese composer who was said to be deaf. It later turned out that he wasn't actually deaf and didn't compose the music himself. PS. In 2026, the series will celebrate its 30th anniversary, and there will likely be a special release or edition. Or perhaps they'll simply release a version with full DualSense support.

16

3 Comments

Voodoo's Cup Heroes already scaled to $60K a day 🤑 in IAP only and 100K downloads a day. The game has been constantly growing from its soft-launch in February making probably more than $3 Mil. in last 30 days altogether. This seems as another major Hybridcasual hit for Voodoo, as it already overtook Block Jam 3D and its on its way to catch up to Mob Control. Ironically it has the Mob Control math gates ➗ core built into it, which seems as an obvious choice to iterate upon. 2 months before its launch there was Bag Fight in Voodoo's portfolio, a game that iterated upon the Backpack hero successful Steam game. Cup Heroes took its top visualization and 2 phase core setup and replaced the inventory merging mechanic with the tried and tested Mob Control gates. But don't be fooled, the biggest and the most important iteration is actually the rogue lite skill randomizer. Here skills are picked at the end of each wave as there is no level in the game. You also need to pay the balls currency to get them, in contrast to the usual setup, where these are given for free, each time you level up. This offers a lot of places for ad placements, and I mean a lot 😅, with possibilities to refresh the skills, get a specific skill for and ad, get all 3 skills for an ad, revive, etc. On top of it you also have interstitials popping in your face. The core gameplay itself is also very interesting as the combat happens automatically on top of the screen with no player input. After you kill the enemies and they drop some balls you need to select where do you want to drop them, so that mathematically, they will multiply as much as possible, so you can then buy skills with them in the last 3rd step, then the core repeats. Join us as we talk about all of this with Felix & Matej 🦩 😎. Data based on Sensor Tower, thanks for the support 🤗 📺 Watch on YouTube: Link in the comments 🎧 Listen on Spotify: Link in the comments 🗣 Join the discussion on our slack channel: https://lnkd.in/eZXJ2Une #gamedev #gameindustry #mobilegames #gamedesign  #mobilegaming #mobilegamedevelopment #useracquisition #gameproduction #games #gamedevelopment #mobiledeveloper  #userexperience #hypercasual #hybridcasual

146

15 Comments

Q3 2024 Video Game Confidence Survey Summary is Now Live! Curious about the latest trends shaping the video game industry? Dive into our Q3 2024 Game Confidence Index, where we unpack the highs, lows, and everything in between from July to September. Key Insights: Shifts in economic sentiment and profitability expectations Rising development costs and intensified market competition Evolving funding strategies amid a tightening financial landscape Read the full analysis to see how industry leaders are responding to these trends and positioning for Q4: Q3 2024... Stay ahead with the insights that matter for navigating this rapidly changing industry! #VideoGames #GamingIndustry #GameDevelopment #MarketInsights #Q32024

11

4 Comments

Gaming Industry SHAKEUP Hits Activision Blizzard HARD 🎮🔥😢 Activision Blizzard is laying off 400 employees across its Irvine, Santa Monica, and Playa Vista offices by the end of the year as part of Microsoft's global cost-cutting measures. After acquiring Activision Blizzard in a $69 billion deal, Microsoft announced that 3% of its global gaming workforce, or 650 employees, will be affected by these cuts. This includes 140 employees in Irvine, 110 in Santa Monica, and 143 in Playa Vista. The layoffs will mostly impact corporate roles such as IT, recruiting, and human resources. What does this mean for the future of the gaming industry and the employees affected? Watch this video for all the details. Video Link:- https://lnkd.in/gbAa_Eke #gamingindustry #activision #activisionblizzard #microsoft #xbox #activisiongames #gamingindia #gamingworld #xbox #videogames #consolegames #pcgames #gaming #california #usa #startupera #startupera_in Activision Blizzard Microsoft

2

Some secrets are being spilled at HGC Berlin 2024, and you don't want to miss it! First up, on October 25th at 12:00, I'll be giving a talk called "How to F*ck Up Your Console Launch, Even Before You Start Porting." If you want to hear about the biggest mistakes studios make with console launches (and how to dodge them), this one's for you. Then, later at 3:00 PM, I'm diving into "Recruit & Retain: Strategies for Gaming Talent Management." Did you know Dreamloop has an 84% boomerang rate? Yes, we've had only 6 people resign in 9 years. I'll be sharing how we built a culture where people actually want to stay—no gimmicks, just real strategies that work.

41

1 Comment

According to AGA report, gaming revenue continues to rise in the second quarter: https://lnkd.in/eeKnBYDP According to the American Gaming Association, revenue from commercial gaming reached $17.63 billion ...

4

Business of games: 5 biggest funding rounds, partnerships, and trends from the last week 🕹️ Investment round-up details from Sept 3rd week 1. Nazara secures $108m to fuel further M&A 2. Gamebeast raises $3.7 million in pre-seed funding 3. Nazara Technologies to raise Rs 900 Cr, increase stake in Sportskeeda 4. Playtika to acquire Dice Dreams developer SuperPlay for up to $1.95 billion 5. Dirt raises $2M from Mark Cuban and others for sensor-based measurement of player attention Top trending news from last week: TouchArcade is Shutting Down :(    #gamingindustry #gamedesign #mobilegames #gamedevelopment #gamedev #videogames #gaming #useracquisition #growth #UA #revenue #data #icartic #gamedeveloper #indiedev #unity3d #madewithunity #businessofgames

6

1 Comment

Our new quarterly report is out. Pearls of wisdom here!

15

RotoUnderworld, a technology company that analyzes statistical data for fantasy sports, announced today that it has raised $1.5 million in a pre-seed funding round to build the next-generation fantasy gaming platform. The round was led by iGaming mavens and technology investors recognizing the company's hyperactive user base and mobile development capabilities. RotoUnderworld's new FastDraft app is revolutionizing the iGaming sector with high-engagement fantasy contests that appeal to both low and high-volume customers. By reducing draft times, simplifying the user experience, and providing more actionable in-game data, FastDraft is accessible to a wider audience of sports fans and fantasy enthusiasts. "RotoUnderworld is on a mission to bring knowledge and joy to sports," said Matthew Kelley, founder of RotoUnderworld and gameplay architect of FastDraft. "Soon after our sports data business ramped up, we were inundated by fantasy sports consumers eager for more mobile fantasy gaming options, especially in the rapidly growing best ball vertical. We listened and delivered." "Our drafts finish in under 5 minutes, which is 10 times faster than traditional best ball formats," said Kelley. "By simplifying the scoring and reducing the time to draft, FastDraft appeals to over 50 million fantasy gamers worldwide who love drafting but often feel overwhelmed by the complexity, competition and time commitment. FastDraft's streamlined format makes it easy to engage with the app and significantly increases user spend per session." After acquiring more than 1,000 new FastDraft users in the first month, the company is preparing a seed funding round to scale the platform, introduce new contest formats and promote the brand to the millions of fantasy gamers worldwide eager to start drafting faster. FastDraft's initial launch demonstrated the market's appetite for a new generation of mobile fantasy sports products. RotoUnderworld will continue disrupting the fantasy sports industry with its groundbreaking technology, becoming a leader in the fast-growing iGaming sector by bringing knowledge, joy, and speed to sports fans. https://lnkd.in/e9UPRPjB

35

2 Comments