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Arguments justifying Arcane on the grounds that "Riot can afford it" are already lost. This framing positions Arcane as a cost center. Marketing heads are commonly called "Heads of Growth" because marketing isn't supposed to be a cost center; instead, it ought to be a profit center. It's a beautiful show (I loved it! Thank you for your subsidy!), and if Riot wants to spend $250M on IP narcissism, they can and should (they're also a private company), but that's different from justifying it within a cost-benefit framework.It's a common misconception that this framework requires easily observable evidence to be useful. Instead, it asks for higher rigor and a direct answer to "How could Arcane deliver over $250M of ROI relative to the best use of investment?" The higher the investment, the more intense the scrutiny level. Another way to […]

People regularly ask me what my industry highlight is. Some might think it was the Luna Labs exit, Ironsource IPO, or launching 100’s of games in my career but no. It’s not any of those, it’s actually getting Mew in Pokemon TCGP after a month of grinding.

The Next Billion-Dollar Merge Games: Innovation Meets Depth 🚀🧩 Merge games have proven their staying power with Travel Town and Gossip Harbor blending grid management with narrative-driven building layers. In terms of the future, the next hits could emerge by leveraging key vectors in #gamesdesign and #systemsdesign that are theme-independent, appealing to female, male, and mixed audiences:🏗️📊 Simulation and Tycoon MechanicsImagine SimCity, Railroad Tycoon, or RollerCoaster Tycoon fused with #mergegames #gameplay. Adding tycoon-like depth could revolutionize Merge, offering strategic, long-term #engagement.--> Travel Town’s city-building layer could expand into dynamic economies, where merging fuels resource generation and upgrades.--> Ability to draw in players seeking meaningful, management-driven progression, boosting #retention and #LTV; and/or teaching this to existing players. 👪🕹️ Life Sims #Games like BitLife, Business Empire: RichMan, and Pick Me Up - Idle inspire the potential synergy between life sims and merge, […]