Ryan K. Rigney

📱 Call of Duty Mobile's Monetization Mastery: - $1.7B+ in revenue - 390M downloads - 51 live events in August 2024 alone - 60% of events focused on monetization The secret? A sophisticated liveops strategy combining: - Battle Pass with multiple premium tiers - Limited-time Gacha events - Engagement-driven rewards - Meta events like mini-games and comics Want to know how CODM masterfully balances engagement and monetization? Find all of this in this week's highlight section written by yours truly :) Tell me know what you think ?

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Browser games are about 1% of total game revenue sitting just under $2 billion annually. For additional context, PC games are at 21% at $53 billion annually and mobile is close to $90 billion sitting at about 50%. Andrew (dub) Wion, community / partnerships manager at SHRAPNEL said “it’s definitely Web3 games and ecosystems that are redefining the need for browser experiences. It’s really wild because it’s coming from the fact that Apple and Google are taking 30% fees directly in their ecosystems. The actual crypto side of things on every Web3 game that I’ve played on my phone was in a browser experience. Even for us, our marketplace that is about to be peer to peer is all in the browser. So it’s going to be really interesting to see how it’s defined later down the road.” How do you see browser game experiences going forward?

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Match3 is not the best game economy. I know some who would say it’s not even economy! Also, digital board games are just video games with terrible UX. Listen to the episode for more on these hot takes from me and the fellas.

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🔋⚡️Calling all gaming & entertainment website owners! Big news at Overwolf today as we announce the acquisition of industry-leading gaming ad tech company Nitro (formally Nitropay), bringing unprecedented net-7 payouts to all website publishers on our platform. As part of our aligned vision with the Nitro team to revolutionize the ad tech industry, we’re offering website publishers unparalleled opportunities for monetization including: 🏆Net-7 payouts ⚡️Lightning fast ad loading ☎️Same-day support 📈More demand for ad inventory Prior to the acquisition, Overwolf was already ranked by Comscore, Inc. as a Top 10 US Game Publisher, with our unique proprietary solution allowing advertisers to reach over 45 million monthly gamers across premium game titles like Minecraft, Fortnite and League of Legends. Our partners include global powerhouse brands and media agencies such as P&G, Pringles, KFC, Intel, Monster Energy, Dentsu, WPP, Havas and more. Today, we more than double our reach to 100M unique gamers monthly across a rich ecosystem of desktop apps, mods, private servers and now over 500 premium websites - becoming a simple marketing buy for anyone looking to advertise to gamers at scale. A big welcome to Cody Bye and the Nitro team joining our growing pack of wolves. Read more about the acquisition here: https://lnkd.in/dRs_MzKN If you’re a gaming/entertainment website owner interested in net-7 payouts and increased demand for your ad inventory reach out to our Nitro team via the website: https://lnkd.in/dAxtkU5V #Publishers | #GamingIndustry | #GamingAds | #Monetization | #AdTech

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Has LinkedIn become an antisocial network? For the past year or more, I've seen engagement and reach numbers on my LI posts drop through the floor, leading to the question "Is it me?" I used to be able to salvage 10k views on even the most mundane of posts every week or two, if I followed some fairly basic rules:- Jump on a trending marketing, brand or data story, offer an original, mildly amusing but ultimately valid take and leave an open ended question in the conclusion, leaving the gate wide open to comments and engagement. But those dizzying heights are long gone. The algo has gone rogue and now the only posts I see getting any semblance of virality outside someone's 1st degree connection network are either written by:- A/ Celebrity business savants with a social cause drum to bang B/ Gilet-wearing tech bros 10X'ing bloody everything, everywhere all at once C/ Redundancy posts (like the one I did last Friday, which did extremely well, reach wise and are sadly all too common this year). I've seen a few posts asking the same question - why is LinkedIn putting a ceiling over content and strangling reach? Surely greater reach = more dwell time = more eyeballs = more ad revenue for Bill Gates? And why oh why does LI HATE long form articles so much? You'd think in-depth insight pieces, research well and edited with TLC would be gold dust, but no - you'll get more traction on a moped at Glastonbury... Don't get me started on those Expert Opinion questions, too - "Replace our paid editors by doing their job for free and we'll give you a little digitised Top Voice badge" FFS. Maybe Microsoft is just using this free labour to train Copilot. In fact, that's almost certainly what's happening. I like posting on LinkedIn. It scratches a writing itch most days, it's a useful network connector and, right now, a handy way to sell my wares as I look for consultancy clients/ a new job. But damn, as my follower count ticked over 13k this morning (whoop! Go me! Where's my LinkedINfluencer badge?!) I had to wonder whether it's really worth all the bother. As my favourite quote from the excellent documentary The Social Dilemma correctly asserts:- "If you're not paying for the product, then you are the product”. #linkedin #socialmedia #ai #contentmarketing

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Sorry I missed this one last night: Tilting Point is laying off 20 percent of its workforce to "continue operating a healthy ongoing company." Confirming the news in a statement sent to MobileGamer.biz, the company said the cuts were made in response to "tough" market conditions. (source and more detail: https://lnkd.in/eWPyhDhg) Those of you who are affected by this, please make use of my resources below: 🥇First, reach out to us at People Can Fly Studio, we have many roles open right now in Canada, the UK, Ireland and Europe, please check them out here: https://lnkd.in/eWpV5PbA 🥈Next, Discipline Games Jobs Resources: Over the past months I have created 9 (at time of writing) Games Jobs Resources to find jobs in a wide range of disciplines, and I would urge you to check them out, if anything just to see what would be available to you: https://lnkd.in/e2qSeKk6 You can find over 5,600 jobs there. 🥉 Third, the Ultimate list of Video Games Career Resources: This should be your one-stop shop for all information. My dear friend Amir Satvat maintains these documents, he is a legend for doing this - please check them out: https://amirsatvat.com/ I urge you to check out the areas in particular about CV support and mentoring, as these will help you no matter what industry you are hailing from or are looking into going next. 🎖 Finally, do not give up. Ever. No matter how dark things may look right now, I KNOW you will get through this, you have got this! 👊 Remember you are not alone. If you need help, advice, or even an ear to listen, we're here for you. Always! ➡ A request to my community, please can I ask you to repost this post to your colleagues and friends, so that we can get as many into jobs as possible! And please comment if you or your studio are currently hiring - let's help each other! Much love ❤️ #tiltingpoint #layoffs

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Big bet. Disney is banking on the bundle reducing churn considerably and making them into the next Netflix. But they will also have to deploy a ton of capital into sports and content to make that happen. Is a $41b valuation a good deal for DIS shareholders? "According to the Disney filing, if NBCU’s appraisal were “deemed to be valid” and a third appraiser’s equity fair-value determination “were consistent with the NBCU’s appraiser’s valuation,” Disney would be required to pay NBCU an additional amount of approximately $5 billion as its share of the difference between the equity fair value and the guaranteed floor value. That suggests that Comcast’s third-party appraisal valued Hulu in the neighborhood of $40.8 billion."

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So sorry to hear about layoffs at Modern Wolf, with 6 staff members being affected. The news broke last night, with my former CA colleague George Willard posting the news, as well as providing information about those also laid off to support re-hiring as quickly as possible. You can find that here: https://lnkd.in/eEXWSgNQ To those impacted by these layoffs, please find a comprehensive list of resources, below: 🥇First, Discipline Games Jobs Resources: Over the past weeks I have created 9 (at time of writing) Games Jobs Resources to find jobs in a wide range of disciplines: 🎨 Art, Animation, VFX and UI: This resource contains around 1,200 jobs worldwide across all links. Link: https://lnkd.in/eu2bjadW ⚙ Engineering and Programming This resource lists just over 1,900 jobs worldwide across all links. It also talks about interview tips and questions to practice. Link: https://lnkd.in/etPj22BE 🕹 Quality Assurance: This resource lists over 450 QA jobs worldwide. This post also talks about the craft of QA and contains tips and interview practice. Link: https://lnkd.in/dwwVjZuc 📑 Game Production: This resource lists around 400 jobs worldwide. It also contains info about game production as a whole and GDC talks. Link: https://lnkd.in/gxDvFM-Z 📢 Marketing & Community: This resource lists around 400 jobs worldwide. It also gives an intro into game marketing and community management. Link: https://lnkd.in/e5MuViug 🎶 Audio and Sound Design: This resource lists around 190 jobs worldwide. Link: https://lnkd.in/eSkPSsWf 📠 Studio Support, HR, Recruitment and BizDev: This resource lists around 290 jobs worldwide. Link: https://lnkd.in/ePG57_7v ⚙ IT, Helpdesk and DevOps: This resource lists around 140 jobs worldwide. Link: https://lnkd.in/e8ZsuiZh 🎮 Game Design: This resource lists around 480 jobs worldwide. https://lnkd.in/dCv_hQXv 🥈 Second, the Ultimate list of Video Games Career Resources: This should be your one-stop shop for all information. My dear friend Amir Satvat maintains these documents, he is a legend for doing this - please check them out: https://amirsatvat.com/ 🥉 Third, If you have worked in publishing, please message me. I am looking for quite a few roles right now! ⬅ 🎖 Finally, do not give up. Ever. No matter how dark things may look right now, I KNOW you will get through this, you have got this! 👊 Remember you are not alone. If you need help, advice, or even an ear to listen, we're here for you. Always! ➡ A request to my community, please can I ask you to repost this post to your colleagues and friends, so that we can get as many into jobs as possible! And please comment if you or your studio are currently hiring - let's help each other! Much love ❤️ #layoffs #gamesindustry #jobsingames #modernwolf

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The streaming industry is undergoing a significant transformation. - Executive predictions indicate an increase in ads, higher subscription prices, and a shift towards ad-supported models. - The focus on profitability could influence content production, favoring broad appeal over niche or prestige shows. - The industry may invest more in live sports and experience mergers or shutdowns among existing services. - Despite advancements like on-demand viewing, streaming might start to resemble the traditional cable TV model. What do you think about these changes in the streaming industry? #streamingindustry #adsupported

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Kudos to both parties (Republicans & Democrats) for protecting our national security & asking Bytedance to divest from Tik-Tok. As a reminder, China is treating all Western social apps with a pure & simple ban enforced by Apple when this is a forced divestment - like Huawei before - despite all the FUD from Tik-Tok spokespersons on this topic. If Tik-Tok truly cares about their users & businesses on the platform, just sell it = problem solved and they will get a lot of cash in the process. https://lnkd.in/egUB2Knu

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Publishers and advertisers have historically been at odds, much like the dynamic between the fly and the spider: they depend on each other for survival, yet ultimately find themselves in a zero-sum game of eat or be eaten. This tension is exacerbated by conflicting priorities—Advertisers strive to maximize visibility and user interaction, while Publishers aim to create an engaging, uninterrupted user experience. The result is often a compromise that satisfies neither party, with intrusive ads disrupting usage and ineffective ad placements failing to deliver desired returns. Leveraging a user-generated actions and advertiser-focused mindset, we are transcending this paradigm and are developing a groundbreaking solution that is unparalleled in the current market. If you are seeking an innovative approach to scalable, non-rewarded traffic for app, game, product or service, I invite you to connect with us and discover for yourself.

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TRACKING RELEASES & TRANSFERS # 1 LIST OF SEPTEMBER, 2024 Hi Mobile Gaming Fanatics! 🤩📲 Today I bring you another edition of our… 💫 Tracking Releases & Transfers 💫 September's first list brings releases and transfers to big publisher accounts between Aug 16 and Sep 21. I've found 157 titles. 💪🔎 I highlight 4️⃣ titles of them. ✅ “Eternal Hero” by Supersonic from Unity A big Israeli publisher 🇮🇱 has released a stunning, high-quality action RPG. ✨ “Eternal Hero” has two standout elements: game art and the deep gameplay. Its highly polished game art, with delightful details such as the excellent jump animation and the battles' SFX. ⚔️ The game’s depth is also a highlight, with a character with dozens of features. Despite this depth, “Eternal” retains the easy gameplay of Hypercasual, with mechanics similar to Idle Arcade, combats that don't kill the player quickly, short dialogs, and an arrow tutorial that remains throughout the game. 👍 There are still some changes to be made, but there's no doubt that “Eternal Hero” is a promising Hybridcasual. 📈 Since August the game has amassed almost US$150k in IAP revenue with 220k downloads. Developed by Rivvy Games, "Eternal Hero" was transferred to Supersonic's account on September 16th. 🗓️ ✅ “Unscrew Pin Jam: Nuts & Bolts” by Supersonic from Unity This thought-provoking puzzle mixes “Screw Jam” by Rollic 🔩 with “Tap Away” by Popcore. ↗️ Developed by EOgames, "Unscrew Pin Jam" was transferred to Supersonic's account on August 29th. 🗓️ 👆 In my opinion, the Hypercasual giant is accelerating in the Hybridcasual race with these two games. 👆 ✅ “HexaCoin Harmony - Merge Tiles” by Voodoo “HexaCoin” is another attempt by the big French publisher 🇫🇷 to launch its version of “Hexa Sort”. With few changes in mechanics, the game's key differential is the AMSR coin sound. 🪙 Developed by Cympl Studios, "HexaCoin Harmony" was transferred to Voodoo's account on August 30th. 🗓️ ✅ “Blossom master: Tile matching” by Lihuhu Games The big Singapore publisher 🇸🇬 (and a Cost Center partner 🥰) released another game in its specialty: Match Tile. “Blossom Master” is a typical Matching tile with a flower theme. 🌺 In addition to its usual visual appeal, the flower theme provides powerful collection features. "Blossom master" was launched by Lihuhu on August 16th. 🗓️ All data from AppMagic. 💯 👇 Swipe through the slides below to see releases & transfers by Zynga, Azur Games , Dmobin Global (Dmobin Studio), SayGames, Vgames Studio, Rollic, Supercent, CrazyLabs, Lion Studios, FreePlay, KAYAC Inc., Kwalee, TapNation, YSO Corp, OVIVO Games, and much more. 👇 - X - Cost Center 🔜 GamesCom Asia offers a BI platform that helps scale up mobile games across UA, Creatives, and Gameplay. 💪 Its portfolio includes amazing clients such as Amanotes and Lihuhu. 🏆 I highly recommend it! 😍 Call my friend Yi Ting Ho. She'll show you a demo. 😉 #innovation #gaming #gamedevelopment #HypercasualByCarlosPereira

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The potential U.S. ban on TikTok, following Senate approval to force a sale by ByteDance, echoes India's earlier ban and could significantly impact Gen Z and the gaming community: -Community Disruption: TikTok is not just a platform but a vital part of Gen Z's social connections and creative expression. A ban could push them to platforms like Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts, significantly altering their digital interactions and potentially stifling their creativity. -Content Shifts: TikTok's short-form content style shapes Gen Z's media consumption. Its absence could lead to changes in how this demographic engages with digital media. -Economic Impact: Many young creators, often from marginalized communities, rely on TikTok for income. A ban could disrupt their economic opportunities, forcing them to seek alternative platforms and potentially pushing them further into financial instability. -Gaming Influence: TikTok promotes games and gaming content, playing a crucial role in the marketing and trendsetting within the gaming industry. A ban could reshape these dynamics. -Reduced Political Engagement: TikTok also serves as a platform for political discourse and activism among young users. A ban could lessen their exposure to diverse perspectives and facilitate their participation in activism. #news #currentevents #gamingindustry https://lnkd.in/eujPVvaY

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Measure What Matters: Tracking Digital Promotion Success Your digital promotions are working hard, but are they paying off? Learn how to track & measure: * Conversion rates, click-through rates & engagement * Customer acquisition cost (CAC) & return on investment (ROI) * Advanced techniques like multi-touch attribution & cohort analysis Read here: https://lnkd.in/dSYQKhnk #DigitalPromotions #Marketing #ROI #Analytics #Promocious #Gamecloud

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I really enjoyed this conversation with fellow Zynga alum Michael Martinez, founder & CEO of casual mobile studio FunCraft. In this episode of the Naavik podcast, we discuss how Michael built a $35 million revenue run rate company with not one, not 2, but now 3 hit games in the highly competitive casual word game genre on mobile. Some great lessons for any gaming entrepreneur, including: - Bigger is not always better: Funcraft's team size will surprise you! - Speed is of the essence: this is one advantage startups have over larger incumbents - Ad monetization works: Funcraft generates impressive ARPDAUs from ads alone and is able to do LTV-positive UA against them - Remote culture can be an asset: it opens up hiring globally - Failure provides valuable learnings: Michael talks candidly about the failure of his prior gaming startup, Juicebox Games, and what he's doing differently this time around Real talk, with lots of real metrics to benchmark against.

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Dear Brendan Sinclair and the amazing team at GamesIndustry.Biz, the feature you wrote on our community yesterday is among the greatest honors of my life. Thanks for mentioning us AGAIN, back-to-back, in your article on Microsoft today. However, I want to reframe something important. You said about us today: https://lnkd.in/eGRsd5P5 "STAT | 85,000 – The number of LinkedIn followers of Amir Satvat, a business development director at Tencent who started publicizing game job openings and job-hunting resources a year and a half ago. It is beyond depressing that there is so much demand for such things right now." I think I know what you meant. It is crushing to see so many gamers' dreams and lives destroyed - I have a front-row seat each day. But I have a contrasting view. Let me tell you why I started this initiative. Do you know what I did for the 15 years out of college when I couldn't find a job in games, until I was 36? I either told my parents or I cried about it at night alone. I dreamed of a support network where I could talk to people about everything games and life combined. When it didn't exist, I made it myself. When you poll our community, and I have, they will tell you that only a third of why they are here is for the job resources. The sense of belonging, love, fun, and games and nerd talk all day is singular for many of them in our space, something they have never enjoyed anywhere else. To the point, by design, only 50% of our community's content is related to games jobs support or resources. That gets the most attention, for understandable reasons, but you will find, as I have mentioned in other posts before, a ton of other content musing on life, business learnings, games played, games learnings, games reviews, games analysis, and more. Furthermore, we need to stop thinking about people seeking out games jobs support as some type of crisis activity they only do when things are wrong or we should feel things are wrong. The types of resources we provide, across our 15 resources, are things any gamer should engage with all the time. Knowing what roles are available, going to events and meeting others, getting mentorship, and sharpening one's professional skills, and a lot more that we offer, are evergreen activities we should all be doing all the time. So while I totally get the sentiment you likely meant in your very short comment, and I clearly know you all mean nothing but the warmest support for our community (and we feel it), I want to challenge the perspective that the demand for what our community offers is somehow something sad. For me, and I know many others, it is one of the happiest things we have ever encountered, a space where we can just be, grow, feel the love, and have fun as gamers, a space they never otherwise had before, including myself. I believe offering this unique COMMUNITY, not our games jobs resources, is the real secret to our growth.

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Episode 5 of The Talent Game podcast is live! 🥳 In this episode, Erla Gunnhildardóttir (Fractional CFO, Supercell, CCP Games) shares her inspiring journey into the gaming industry, starting with her love for board games and leading to her role at CCP Games. She opens up about her experience with layoffs at CCP, providing valuable insights into navigating financial planning and the emotional challenges during such times. Erla praises the leadership at CCP for their empathy, professionalism, and focus on maintaining a positive workplace culture despite difficult decisions. The conversation dives deep into the importance of company culture, with Erla emphasizing the role of leadership in shaping it through clear communication and setting behavioral expectations. She highlights the power of trust, psychological safety, and coaching in building high-performing teams. Erla also discusses how finance teams can play a strategic role beyond traditional back-office functions by fostering collaboration across departments. Key Takeaways ✅ Finance teams should be integrated into broader company functions, fostering collaboration rather than being siloed as a back-office role. ✅ Empathy and care are essential when navigating difficult situations, such as layoffs, to maintain a positive workplace culture. ✅ Effective leadership shapes workplace culture through clear values, communication, and behavioral expectations, fostering resilience in challenging times. ✅ Building high-performing teams requires trust, psychological safety, and coaching to enable team members to bring their whole selves to work. ✅ How candidates discuss their current or past employers during interviews reveals key insights into their mindset and attitudes.

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