Lost Boys Interactive’s Post

The global video game advertising market is valued at billions of dollars annually, growing 10+% yearly, and we’re witnessing tectonic shifts monthly. Here are just a few major trends shaping the industry: 📈 New models for analyzing large volumes of creatives – Marketers now have powerful tools to assess performance across massive amounts of ad content, driving smarter strategies. 🎮 Playable creatives with built-in analytics – Interactive ads have evolved, offering real-time insights into player behavior and engagement. 🎨 AI-generated game creatives – AI is now designing assets, enabling faster, more innovative ad content production. ⚖️ IP debates – Daily discussions arise around intellectual property in gaming, as creators and advertisers navigate the balance between creativity and ownership. So for anyone interested in diving deeper into what tomorrow holds - a cool event. Thanks to the organizers TechIsland for the opportunity. #Gaming #AdTech #AR #AI #VideoGames #Marketing

News from Gamescom! 🎮 StickyTable Gamescom was an incredible experience for me and Ben Vanhaelst. We made invaluable connections and had insightful conversations with some amazing people—especially publishers, press, and fellow game developers. It was fascinating to dive into discussions about the industry and the exciting opportunities ahead. Here are some key elements we explored and discussed on Gamescom: • Is today’s marketing still effective for games? 🤔 Many traditional marketing techniques feel outdated, so we focused on new approaches that resonate better with modern audiences. Simply posting on Twitter and creating devlogs doesn’t seem enough anymore to build a following. In today’s market, it’s crucial to build a community—one that feels valued. Why should people follow you or your game instead of another studio or title? This was something we explored in depth. • Game design innovation We also had deep conversations about game design. With so many games looking alike these days, how do you make yours stand out in a sea of competition? These discussions were both eye-opening and inspiring. The games themselves! • There were so many hidden gems at Gamescom some of which truly deserve awards! It’s always amazing to see how creative and innovative developers can be. Here are some exciting updates for StickyTable and its growth: • Without a huge marketing push we are seeing Streep's wishlists Steadily rise every day which is greatly motivating! We’re so grateful for the support! ➡ - https://lnkd.in/efWGyvjB • We are now in the vertical slice stage, which means we’ll soon have a great piece to show you. • Streep had over 6 press meetings, which is incredible! We’re still waiting on some coverage, but here’s an amazing interview by Yvonne van Geloven: Interview ➡ https://lnkd.in/ejwhEU_P • We’re growing our team and have opened an intern position in 2025! Next on the list is ➡ UNWRAP | Digital Entertainment Festival Lastly, I want to extend a huge thank you to Pirate PR and the Flanders Game Hub for making all of this possible. Your support and advice in setting up meetings with fantastic people and preparing for Gamescom were truly invaluable. #Gamescom2024 #GameDevelopment #Marketing #Networking #GameDesign #Streep

🚨 Virtual Placement 7.7 Release Announcement 🚨 We’re thrilled to introduce Virtual Placement 7.7, packed with new features designed to enhance American football game coverage. This update offers broadcasters and in-venue teams advanced tools for better graphics, smoother operations, and more fan engagement opportunities. 🔹 Field Goal Target Tool: Visualize team-specific field goal ranges with customizable options such as colors, textures, and logos. 🔹 Red Zone Outline: Customizable textures and animations designed for the crucial last 20 yards, factoring in the latest NFL kickoff rules. 🔹 Upgraded Down & Distance Toolkit: A suite of enhanced tools like automatic midfield switching, play clock countdowns, and exposed user settings. These updates reduce manual adjustments, unlock new branding opportunities, and create a more immersive viewing experience for audiences. Receive a demo of the new features today, discuss your thoughts and questions with our product experts, or learn more about the details of today's release! 👉 https://lnkd.in/emUC5m3b #SinceDayOne #SportsBroadcasting #SportsTech #VirtualPlacement #FootballInnovation #FanEngagement #BroadcastingTools #SportsTechNews

The gaming industry has been rocked by the mass exodus of Annapurna Interactive's entire staff. This unexpected move raises questions about the future of indie game publishing and the delicate balance between creative autonomy and corporate integration. Annapurna Interactive, known for publishing critically acclaimed titles like Stray and Outer Wilds, has been a beacon of innovation in the indie game space. Their curated selection of unique, emotionally resonant games has garnered a dedicated following and industry respect. The reported resignation comes after failed negotiations to spin off the gaming division into an independent entity. This clash between Annapurna's leadership and its gaming team highlights the inherent tensions that can arise when creative industries intersect with traditional business models. The situation at Annapurna Interactive serves as a cautionary tale for the broader tech and entertainment sectors. As larger conglomerates continue to acquire or integrate smaller, specialised teams, maintaining the essence of what made those teams successful becomes increasingly challenging. For game developers and publishers, this event underscores the importance of preserving creative independence. The unique vision that smaller studios bring to the table is often what sets their products apart in a crowded market. Looking ahead, the industry will be watching closely to see where Annapurna Interactive's talent lands and how this shift affects the indie game landscape. Will we see the birth of a new publishing powerhouse, or will these creatives be absorbed into existing structures? What do you think this means for the future of indie game publishing? How can companies better balance corporate objectives with creative freedom? https://lnkd.in/e2sDJP34 #GameDev #IndieGames #TechIndustry #CreativeEconomy

Sneak peak of the Bad Moon Talent newsletter going LIVE this month 📰 What can you expect to find? - New Talent Signings/Highlights 🌟 - Up To Date Rosters 📃 - Featured Brand Collaborations 🤝 - Creative Content examples 💡 Like/Comment if you are interested in receiving this months' issue! #newsletter #influencermarketing #gaming #agency

Happy Tuesday Gamers, For a little while now I have been in conversation with several studio leaders about the challenges they are experiencing when it comes to #TalentAcquisition for the #GamesIndustry (yes, there are still studio's hiring in these crazy times). It became clear that internal teams and hiring managers are overwhelmed and spending more time than ever on finding the right talent to fill their roles. Throughout these conversations I ideated and pitched solutions and between us we came up with "Recruitment as a Subscription" a brand new, economically friendly way, of working with The Gaming Recruiter More details can be found in the info pack, that a select few of my connections have already received and the feedback has been hugely positive, but the short version is studios pay a monthly fee with commitments to get the jobs filled in a certain timeframe. This allows the studios to more accurately track their recruitment spend, save significantly against traditional contigency pricing models and free up their teams to focus on more strategically important tasks, like making a great game. For a FREE consultation on any of your live roles or challenges you're facing and how we can help, you can book using the calendly link in the comments. #GameDev #GameArt #GameJobs

Looking forward to Lily joining the team at Princess Bento. A great initiative by Screen Australia . Screen Australia Screen Australia has announced the latest recipients for the Skills Development Fund and BTL: Next Step initiative, who will share in over $900,000 of Industry Development funding – bridging skill shortages and boosting the capabilities of the Australian screen workforce. The host companies and individuals supported through BTL: Next Step are: Boom Tracks Pty Ltd – Sound Designer placement (VIC): Andrew Richards (Water for Birds, 112 Days) from VIC Cosmic Dino Studio – Line Producer placement (QLD): Michael Olive (Teletubbies – Let’s Go!, In Limbo) from QLD Cutting Edge Post Pty Ltd – Post Supervisor / Post Producer placement (QLD): Ashlee Smale (My Kitchen Rules, Dream Homes season 1) from NSW Jungle Entertainment – Production Manager placement (NSW): Belinda Dean (Cloudy River, The Way, My Way) from NSW Lingo Pictures Pty Ltd – Location Manager placement (NSW): Estee Chang (Play Dirty, Prosper) from NSW Princess Bento Pty Ltd – Special Effects Supervisor placement (VIC): Lily Ford (Young Woman and the Sea, Class of ‘07) from NSW SAM Content – Line Producer placement (NSW): Penny Jope (Memory Lane season 4 and 5, Hot Potato: The Story of The Wiggles) from NSW Sweet Shop Green Pty Ltd – Post Production Supervisor placement (VIC): Nick Venn (VFX & Post Producer) from VIC Walking Fish Productions Pty Ltd – Post Production Supervisor placement (VIC): Amy Browne (Welcome to Yiddishland, A Will for the Woods) from VIC The programs / projects supported through the Skills Development Fund are: Kangaroo Beach Digital Team – Cheeky Little Media Pty Ltd: This funding will support Cheeky Little, an Australian producer of kids’ animated content, to develop an in-house digital arm dedicated to producing and distributing content for YouTube. The skills development plan will focus on skills and capacity in digital distribution and channel building with support from experienced mentors and specialised industry training. In doing so, Cheeky Little aims to establish a team of digital specialists in the children’s entertainment space to address a notable gap in the industry. Pasture Skills Development Plan – Salty Games Pty Ltd: Salty Games is a games development studio looking to establish a lasting gaming industry in the Northern Territory, through harnessing local talent and creating an environment that reflects the rich cultural tapestry of the NT. With this funding, Salty Games aims to enhance the abilities of the team by providing targeted training and mentorship in key areas of game production, management and technical expertise – addressing skills shortages across the territory.

Capitalize on your existing community when it comes to new releases! 🚀 I can't stress this enough - if you have an already established community for your company/game, use it when promoting your newest release! It's great starting point no matter the size. 😅 Unknown Worlds Entertainment provides a perfect example of that. Subnautica is an iconic underwater survival/adventure indie gem that has been around for some years. I've just recently played it actually - my fiancé has been a big fan for a while, but I thought survival games weren't my thing... Well, imagine my surprise when I finally get to play #Subnautica and literally sank in! 🌊 The game itself has a feature called Time Capsules. At the end, you can send a capsule filled with either/or screenshots, message and items and they can randomly spawn for other players when they play the game. Now, this isn't a post of how INGENIOUS this idea is for community development, but they actually went a step further 🫣 After the release of Subnautica: Below Zero, fans have been waiting patiently for any news regarding a new installment in the series - Subnautica 2. Unknown Worlds have been cryptic about it, but a few weeks back some players started to discover clues left by the devs in the original Subnautica! 😱 It turns out, the devs used the aforementioned Time Capsules feature... to smuggle in screenshots from the production of Subnautica 2! 📸 Genius. Why? - Hyping the community by finally showing more concrete screenshots from the upcoming title - Making people want to replay the first Subnautica to find those Time Capsules - Creating a new topic of discussion within the playebrase That's a top-tier #communityengagement strategy, and a #marketing one as well! 🤩 But how did Unknown Worlds promote it? - putting those capsules in-game without any announcement - not pushing any marketing about it on Social Media - leaving it in the hands of their dedicated playerbase to find and share those screenshots Simple, yet effective. 😎 This is what gaming #marketing and #communitymanagement should strive to be - fun and exciting! What do you think? Maybe you want to replay Subnautica now as well?Don't mind if I do... 🥽 An image of one such time capsule found by players attached below 👇 #gaming #marketing #CM #communityengagement

🎯 Case Study: Breaking the Benchmark for MY.GAMES! 🎯 At Vidbeat Studio, we love delivering outstanding results for our clients, and this time, we’ve raised the bar! 🔥 By creating a high-performance ad creative for Resident Evil 1, we managed to beat the top benchmark for our client MY.GAMES. Here's how we did it: ✅ Creative Excellence: Our team crafted a compelling video ad that captured the essence of the game’s suspenseful atmosphere, drawing players in with thrilling visuals and engaging storytelling. 🎥👾 ✅ Performance Driven: The result? This ad surpassed industry benchmarks, driving increased installs and boosting engagement rates. 🚀 ✅ Client Success: MY.GAMES saw a significant improvement in ad effectiveness, helping to strengthen their marketing efforts and increase overall revenue! 💰 We’re incredibly proud of the results and excited to continue creating top-tier ad campaigns that deliver measurable success. Check out the creative here 👇 🔗 Watch the Creative #SuccessStory #ResidentEvil #AdCreatives #GameMarketing #VidbeatStudio #MYGAMES #MobileGaming #ClientSuccess

How gaming drives Box Office success for film studios According to Marketing Week: 1️⃣ Immersive Tie-ins: Studios are bringing movie worlds into games, offering players unique, interactive experiences that build excitement and anticipation for upcoming releases. 2️⃣ In-Game Events: Special events and branded content within games generate buzz and keep gamers engaged, creating a fun way to promote films. 3️⃣ Building Stronger Connections: These collaborations allow players to interact with the film's universe, creating emotional connections that enhance brand loyalty and increase ticket sales. According to Marketing Week, these strategies are helping studios reach tech-savvy, engaged audiences like never before. Check out the article: https://lnkd.in/gvqKhK2r What are your thoughts? How else can gaming transform entertainment marketing? #ingameads #digitaladvertising #gamification #playableads #movie #marketingstrategy #PlayEZ