John Wright

I think we’re all aware at the recent wave of short comings, game launch delays and back catalogue issues Ubisoft have been facing but digging in to their recent financials I think it showcases a slightly more negative view then expected: • Financial Performance: In Q3 FY2024-25, Ubisoft reported net bookings of €301.8 million, a 52% decline from €626.2 million in the same period last year, aligning with its revised guidance. Ultimately even though they set guidance correctly, seeing such a YoY decrease shows increasing pressures and an even bigger ownous on future releases (which we all know is going to be pinned to AC: Shadows).• Assassin’s Creed Shadows Release: Despite previous setbacks, “Assassin’s Creed Shadows” is now scheduled for release on March 20, 2025, with pre-orders tracking comparably to “Assassin’s Creed Odyssey,” the franchise’s second most successful entry. My […]

Yes you are reading that correctly, AppLovin stock has jumped 30% after hours after another insane quarter. Check out: AppLovin Empire: Monopoly in Mobile Gaming? Highlights from the earnings call earlier today were:• Revenue Growth: The company reported a 44% year-over-year increase in revenue for Q4 2024. • Earnings Per Share (EPS): Adjusted EPS for the quarter was $1.73, surpassing market expectations. • Future Revenue Projections: AppLovin forecasts Q1 2025 revenue between $1.355 billion and $1.385 billion, exceeding analysts’ expectations. • Strategic Shift: The company is expanding its advertising platform beyond gaming into e-commerce, marking a transformative period (please refer to my 2025 marketing predictions after with Deconstructor of Fun to read more about this).• Divesting From Games: AppLovin plans to sell its gaming studios for approximately $900m to focus on its core advertising technology and software platform, AXON is […]

Vietnam’s Gaming Ecosystem and Recent Regulatory Changes Over the past few days, we’ve seen significant news regarding the Vietnamese government’s decision to enforce stricter regulations on game submissions and approvals, following a similar path to China.As many of us know, China only approves a few hundred games annually, creating a major hurdle for Western developers who want to reach Chinese players without relying on specialized local publishers or partners.The key difference between China and Vietnam lies in the value of their markets. China boasts both high-quality users and immense scale, making any disruption or potential loss of earnings for Western developers a serious concern.In contrast, Vietnam’s monetization potential is relatively modest. User behavior is similar to that of most Tier-3 markets, and LTV generally range between $0.10 to $0.40c, depending on the game genre.That said, Vietnam has emerged as a […]

Super cool to see my name and quote on the front page of the gaming section on the new Sensor Tower State of Mobile report. If you haven't read it already you're seriously missing out as it's one of, if not the, most comprehensive report on mobile in the business.There's even a massive section on AI for all the hype boys and girls.Download directly from the link here.

I get asked a lot about what makes a good leader, or what skills to focus on, but leadership isn’t about knowing everything—it’s about trusting the right people. At Kwalee I have the privilege of managing close to 200 talented individuals across multiple disciplines. Some of these areas I have zero experience in when I started. Yet, our success isn’t the result of one person trying to master everything—it’s the result of empowering great leaders who do.The late, great Steve Jobs said it best when he said “we don’t hire smart people and tell them what to do, we hire smart people so they can tell us what to do” and I’ve always tried to listen to that advice.Probably the most important lesson I learned in my leadership journey is this: delegation is key. Not just assigning tasks, but trusting […]