Midwest Games’ Post

🚀 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐩𝟑𝐥𝐥𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐨𝐬 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞 🚀 We’re thrilled to share the progress we’ve made over the past months at Sp3llbound Studios. Our hard work and dedication have brought us to a major milestone: the public testing of TheLastDwarfs. We believe that #Telegram games have the potential to reshape both the Web3 and Web2 worlds by offering an unprecedented onboarding experience for players. TheLastDwarfs is now open for testing, and your feedback is essential as we refine the experience in preparation for the full release. Our journey is just beginning, and we’re excited to see our community play a crucial role in shaping the final product. 𝐓𝐫𝐲 𝐢𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 👉 [https://lnkd.in/duEUd7S5] Meanwhile, 21BJ, our Flagship Title, is deep in development and is set to bring something truly unique to the gaming landscape. We can’t wait to share more updates on this exciting title. Our vision goes beyond individual games. At Sp3llbound Studios, we’re dedicated to building a comprehensive gaming ecosystem that bridges the gap between Web3 and traditional Web2 gaming. A key component of this vision is our upcoming 𝐒𝐩𝟑𝐥𝐥 𝐈𝐃 system—a platform to reward our community with 𝐒𝐩𝟑 𝐏𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐬, unlocking benefits across the entire ecosystem. This is just the beginning of how we plan to create lasting value for players and partners alike, the future of web3 gaming is bright. Thanks to the incredible support to our community 💪 Let’s keep building, together💡✨

🎮 The Indie Gaming Boom: Are You Ready? 🚀 Gaming isn’t just a hobby anymore—it’s a growing industry of $200 billion. But the real excitement? It's happening in the indie space. Small studios with big ideas are reshaping the landscape, and you don’t need millions to get started. Here's what we've learned from building Banzan Studios: 1️⃣ Start lean: A strong MVP can teach you more than an overbuilt product. 2️⃣ Focus on community: Gamers are your best advocates. Engage early. 3️⃣ Experiment: Creativity thrives in small teams, so test wild ideas! 💡 What’s your biggest challenge when starting a game studio? Drop your thoughts in the comments—let’s learn from each other! #GameDev #IndieGames #StartupLife #TechTrends #GamingIndustry

Ever wonder how some mobile games achieve explosive growth 💣 and others, well.. don’t? 📉 The answer often lies in their LiveOps strategy. Integrating LiveOps early in a product’s development and aligning it with core mechanics, if done correctly, can determine if you make it or break it. It’s NEVER too early to start thinking about LiveOps implementations, but for some games, it’s often too late. ⏰ Want to stay in the game?… Let’s connect! #HelpingGamesMaximizeTheirTruePotential #Kinoa #LiveOps #InAppPurchase #AdMonetization

As a consumer and games investor, I’m always confronted by the stark difference in available user data to assess a Series A for a AAA games studio vs a consumer tech (or mobile games) company. This has made it hard for many investors to justify investing at the A+ round in games. How do we change this? Throwing out some ideas for studios: - Demonstrate ability to build community - Have regular early playtests and track how often players are voluntarily coming back - Design playtests in a way for players to choose how long to play - Recruit streamers who specialize in your genre to playtest and provide feedback - Test core design concepts in UEFN maps I’d love to hear more ideas that’s worked for gaming founders. Consumer founders can “fail fast” and iterate in spans of weeks. It’d be game-changing to be able to shorten validation timelines in AAA games significantly from 3-5 years.

This is a little embarrassing, but up until last year I had never attended a gaming event! I know...crazy right? The event? Wisconsin Games Alliance's M+Dev. I met a ton of great people and sat in on some insightful talks. Don't forget to pick up this year's tickets for the event in November. Let me know if you're going :) I'd like to connect with more likeminded folks, play up and coming indie games, and see if maybe I can help a few people along the way by sharing some of my experience along the way. What kind of experience? Well...starting up a new indie studio, selling a game IP, signing a new game with a kick ass publisher (hi, Midwest Games!), building remote teams, the difference between game dev as a hobby and as a business, pitfalls starting a project as a solo dev and then scaling up to bring in others, etc etc. So...what events would you recommend? They don't have to be massive endeavors like PAX, but any suggestions are greatly appreciated 🤘

Any friends going to GamesBeat next week? I was speaking with one of my gamer friends two days ago. He said gamers don't want to spend so much on games. They're getting savvy about the costs of larger development teams and realizing that doesn't necessarily produce a more fun game. The game industry is catching on too. We're seeing a shift from those massive AAA teams and budgets to smaller, agile groups. These teams are cranking out some of the most creative and fun games out there. Here's why this is awesome: *Creative Freedom: Small teams can try out crazy ideas without the big-budget pressure. *Agility: With fewer layers, they can quickly pivot and make changes. *Cost Efficiency: Less money on development means more focus on making the game fun. Indie games are leading the charge. Games like Palworld and Helldivers prove you don’t need a huge team to create something amazing. Community-driven development is big too. Crowdfunding and early access let players get involved early and shape the game. With tech getting better and tools more accessible, these small, passionate teams are the future of gaming. It’s all about creativity, fun, and innovation now. #GameDev #IndieGames #AgileTeams #GamingInnovation #FutureOfGaming #GamesBeat

🚀 At Planetary Processing, we're passionate about empowering indie gaming studios to bring their multiplayer game visions to life seamlessly. 🌟 Our cutting-edge backend technology ensures that game development isn't just smooth sailing—it's a thrilling adventure from start to finish. But what sets us apart? Our innovative pay-as-you-grow financial model. 📈 We understand the challenges indie studios face, which is why we've crafted a payment structure that aligns with their success. With our model, studios only pay for our services when their game is generating revenue. 💰 That's right—no upfront costs, no hidden fees. Just a partnership focused on mutual growth and success. Whether you're a small indie studio or a medium-sized team, Planetary Processing is here to support you every step of the way. Let's collaborate to create multiplayer games that captivate players and elevate the gaming experience. 🎮 Join our community: https://lnkd.in/ekQZQdne #PlanetaryProcessing #IndieGameDev #MultiplayerGames #GameDevelopment #Innovation #PayAsYouGrow

In February, after months of steady growth, our games hit a plateau 😬 I hate how closely my mood mirrors the performance of our business. I was feeling anxious for the first time in months 😓 But I reminded myself we’ve been here before. Games always hit plateaus - and our team always breaks through them. How did we push past this winter slump? By doing, not just analyzing. Our team’s greatest strength is relentless perseverance. We’ll keep attacking the problem until we jumpstart growth. Our success is rarely the result of a single change. It’s often a series of 1% improvements that elevate our games to a new level of performance. Our efforts paid off. Not only are our games growing again, but our revenue and (profitable) user acquisition spending are at an all-time high 📈🚀 I don’t hold any illusions that our streak will be continuous. Plateaus are part of the cycle of scaling games 💯 That’s why a successful studio is more than its portfolio of titles. What differentiates a studio is its culture of perseverance and aggressive action 💪🏼💪🏼💪🏼

Unleash the magic of game development with Metaplay's Unity-based SDK. From top-tier collaborations to customizable workflows, discover the key to scalable mobile games. Teemu Haila spills the secrets, and we've got the scoop on democratizing game development. Ready to redefine your game dev journey? 🚀 #techinsights #technews

Triple A gaming titles are dying. 🌿 Indie Games Are Outpacing Triple-A Titles 🌿 In the gaming world, we’re seeing an exciting shift—indie games are thriving while Triple-A titles are often struggling to maintain their footing. At Lavndr Social, where we specialize in the gaming industry, we’ve noticed some key reasons for this trend. ✨ Innovation: Indie games are breaking boundaries with fresh, bold ideas. Without the pressure of huge budgets or shareholder expectations, they can focus on unique gameplay mechanics and experimental narratives. Triple-A titles often play it safe, sticking to proven formulas, but gamers crave novelty! 🎨 Creativity Over Commercialism: Indie developers have the freedom to take risks and create niche content, building strong, passionate communities. Triple-A companies sometimes fall into the trap of focusing on mass appeal, which can dilute creativity. ⚡ Agility: Indie teams are small, allowing them to pivot quickly and respond to player feedback. Triple-A games, with their massive development teams and lengthy production cycles, can struggle to make timely changes or address community concerns. 👾 Connection: Indie studios often maintain a close relationship with their audience, fostering a sense of trust and loyalty. Meanwhile, larger studios can feel distant, with a transactional approach that lacks the same personal touch. At Lavndr Social, we believe that storytelling, creativity, and connection are the heart of successful branding—and the gaming industry is no different. Indie games embody these principles, which is why they’re flourishing in today’s market. Let’s make your brand bloom by embracing what makes it truly unique! 🌷 #IndieGames #GamingIndustry #MarketingAgency #LavndrSocial #CreativeBranding #InnovationInGaming #TripleATitles #BrandGrowth #firewatch #camposanto