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Brutally Honest #146

Hey, FAM! What’s up? 🥃 Drink talk Gamesforum last year was a blast in both Barcelona and Hamburg. It's a Must-go conference every year for UA & Monetization people! You should definitely go to Barcelona next month. This is why: The quality of content is insanely good networking with the best of the best business opportunities side events it's Barcelona! SIGN UP WITH MY OWN PROMO CODE - Unicorn20 🦩Tip of the week I have been thinking about the role of UA and how it is evolving nowadays. A Senior User Acquisition (UA) Manager in the games industry typically combines deep analytical capabilities with strategic marketing and leadership skills. They are responsible for planning, executing, and optimizing campaigns to drive high-quality players into a game at scale. Below are some of the core skills and competencies that are commonly expected […]

Matej Lancaric January 9

Journal

Dark and Darker by Krafton

Dark and Darker mobile ⚔️ published by Krafton Inc. is on its way to launch in the first half of 2025. We couldn't wait, so we reviewed the PC version of the game and looked at the different monetization models that the mobile game will probably have. The game got taken down from Steam and after a victory in lawsuit over Nexon's copyright claim in January 2024 it is back on Steam from June 2024. The PC version relaunched as a free to play game with a very unique model, reminiscent of Path of Exile "pay for convenience". As you see in the image, by being free to play you can only enter the Normal dungeons, have 1 character slot and can't sell items on the marketplace. After a $30 purchase the game basically goes from demo mode into full […]

Jakub Remiar January 9

Journal

Exploring the Mobile Mediation Market

I recently took a deep dive into the world of mobile mediation platforms and shared insights on how developers can maximize ad revenue. Here’s an overview of what I covered:📜 The Evolution of Mobile Mediation:Back in 2008, the App Store revolutionized app distribution, but discoverability quickly became a problem. Early on, featured placements by Apple or Google were the only ways to guarantee downloads. As the app ecosystem exploded, it was clear this wasn’t scalable. Enter Admob in 2009, bringing ads into apps, which transformed how developers monetized and acquired users. Mediation platforms emerged as the marketplace for networks to bid on inventory, ensuring publishers got the best price. Today, mediation platforms like Admob, Unity Level Play, and Applovin MAX are essential for any developer.💰 What You Get Paid for Ads:Ad revenue boils down to two key metrics: eCPM (Effective […]

Felix Braberg January 9

Journal

How diversified are the largest game publishers?

How diversified are the largest game publishers? Here’s a breakdown:𝟭. 𝗧𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁 – $𝟲𝟭𝟬𝗠 𝘁𝗼𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵𝗹𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘂𝗲 • Honor of Kings – 30.8% • PUBG Mobile – 19.4% • Other games – 49.9% • Tencent keeps things balanced, with almost half its revenue coming from a broad portfolio.𝟮. 𝗡𝗲𝘁𝗘𝗮𝘀𝗲 – $𝟭𝟲𝟵𝗠 𝘁𝗼𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵𝗹𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘂𝗲 • Identity V – 15.7% • Onmyoji Arena – 12.4% • Other games – 72% • NetEase shows solid diversification 𝟯. 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗿𝗶𝘅 – $𝟭𝟮𝟴𝗠 𝘁𝗼𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵𝗹𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘂𝗲 • Gardenscapes – 27.1% • Township – 22.4% • Homescapes – 21.4% • A more even spread across its popular franchises.𝟰. 𝗦𝗰𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗹𝘆 – $𝟭𝟭𝟱𝗠 𝘁𝗼𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵𝗹𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘂𝗲 • Monopoly Go! – 73.9% • Marvel Strike Force – 5.9% • Other games – 20.2% • Scopely’s strategy revolves around a single blockbuster—Monopoly Go!.𝟱. 𝗞𝗶𝗻𝗴 – $𝟭𝟭𝟭𝗠 𝘁𝗼𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵𝗹𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘂𝗲 • Candy […]

Anton Slashcev January 9

Highlights

Grand Games secures $30M Series A

Istanbul-based Turkish Mobile Game Studio, Grand Games raises $30M Series A to build genre-defining mobile games. Grand Games, the trailblazing gaming studio behind the widely loved Magic Sort mobile game, has raised a $30M Series A round marking its arrival as the latest up-and-coming studio to emerge from Istanbul, the gaming powerhouse that brought forth Dream Games and Peak Games. Balderton led the round with participation from existing investors Bek Ventures (formerly known as Earlybird Digital East), Laton Ventures and angel investor Mert Gür. Suranga Chandratillake - General Partner, Balderton 👇🏻 Istanbul is producing some of the world’s finest gaming studios and within that ecosystem the founders of Grand Games stood out with their vision to create world-class genre-defining casual games that players love to play. The speed with which they have built a brilliant team culture and achieved success with their […]

Ömer Yakabagi January 9

Journal

Importance of Mixing Creatives in Meta

First of all, Happy New Year everyone!✨ I'm back from a much-needed vacation and I’d like to kick off the year with a very quick and easy-to-understand case study about 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐢𝐱𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐌𝐞𝐭𝐚.One of my clients wanted to target older audiences but was using a single ad group that included both videos and static banners. When I took over the account, the first step was quite straightforward and logical:👉Separating static banners into their own ad group was going to give us a major delivery between older segmentsAnd below, you just need to see the results:1️⃣The banner ad group allocated 51% of its total spend to the two oldest age ranges, compared to 30% in the video ad group.2️⃣ The banner ad group spent 77% of its budget on Feed placements, while the video ad group only spent […]

David Vargas January 9

Journal

Mobile Gaming & Apps in India

Sharing new report about Mobile, Mobile Gaming and Mobile Apps in India!!! 🇮🇳🇮🇳🇮🇳 (based on Sensor Tower, Statista, Emarketer, GWI, Stat Counter). The report provides a comparative analysis of major mobile gaming and non-mobile categories across 2022, 2023, and 2024, 𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐮𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐯𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐨𝐫𝐲. 𝘕𝘶𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘯𝘦𝘵 𝘴𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘱𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘐𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘢 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯 2024 𝘢𝘯𝘥 2029 𝘪𝘴 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘪𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 300𝘔. 𝘔𝘰𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘨𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘯-𝘨𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘶𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘯 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘴 𝘪𝘵 𝘢𝘥𝘴-𝘥𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘦𝘵. There are many other such elements in that country. Since a lot of data points about mobile technology, gaming, and apps are scattered across various sources, I decided to compile them . It is version 2.0 of the report I did about India some time ago (based on latest data). - Mobile in India - in-app and subscriptions - in-app and in-game advertising […]

Mariusz Gąsiewski January 8

Journal

Intrinsic Monetization: Alternative Path to Lasting Engagement

This article discusses Intrinsic Monetization as a framework for F2P monetization strategy.On top of that, the article offers detailed examples of how you could innovate with intrinsic directions, in unique ways, in your designs as well as what can in best way complement your systems — which I’m hoping will spark some innovative ideas for everyone regarding their future game prospects.Intrinsic MonetizationAs the gaming industry evolves, intrinsic monetization is a framework everyone should know and study more — for building sustainable success.Unlike extrinsic models that rely on e.g., rewards-based systems most or external pressures like time-limited offers or competitive paywalls, intrinsic monetization aligns with players' internal motivations, fostering genuine engagement and connection.What is Intrinsic Monetization?Intrinsic monetization integrates monetization into the core of the gameplay experience in ways that feel natural and fulfilling to players.The key focus of it is here: […]

Antti Kananen January 8

Journal

20 Lessons From Running a Game Studio

20 Lessons From Running a Game Studio Here's what Mykola and I learned after years of running game studios:1. Focus beats headcount ↳ A small, sharp team > a large, distracted one.2. Passion drives the business, but discipline sustains it ↳ Passion starts things, but discipline keeps them running.3. Something will always go wrong ↳ Plans fail. Adapt quickly and keep moving forward.4. Build a culture, not just games ↳ Strong culture fosters creativity and happier teams.5. Speed > quality > quantity ↳ Fast iterations are great, but never sacrifice quality.6. Players are your compass ↳ Listen, observe, and adapt based on their feedback.7. Build a pipeline, not a one-hit wonder ↳ Create systems that let you learn, improve, and reuse.8. Partnerships are a force multiplier ↳ Collaborate to unlock opportunities you can't do alone.9. Kill your darlings ↳ Let […]

Anton Slashcev January 8

Journal

The Future of Web Games: Beyond What We Know Today

When looked critically, for the past 10–20 years, web gaming has not evolved much and it's been on repeat, with little innovation beyond what we saw a decade or more ago, even it’s currently growing again steadily.This article focuses on a discussion and trend and prediction setting about the future of Web Games.The Future of Web GamingThe future of web gaming doesn’t just lie in improving what already exists and it isn't on instant games, current portals, etc. — I believe it’s in reinventing how we think about gameplay, meta game, social experiences / systems, and cross-platform potential.The next unicorn and even decacorn companies in gaming will come from those who think beyond current models and explore new territories, such as:🔹 User Experience Innovation: Creating fluid, immersive experiences that feel fresh and intuitive. Imagine e.g., how different types of UI […]

Antti Kananen January 7

Journal

My honest advice for Game Producers

My honest advice for game producers: If you don’t love playing games, you shouldn’t be making them.Because if you make a game only to "earn a buck," then:• Your game will lack fun.• It will lack depth.• And it won’t truly engage players.... resulting in earning $0 (and probably losing much more).Only true gamers can create what players love, and this will be rewarded in the end.Passion for games is what makes great ones.Always.

Anton Slashcev January 7

Journal

2024 Top Hypercasual Mobile Game Publishers

2024 Top Hypercasual Mobile Game Publishers charts and my analysis, is a good start for 2025. Numbers tell a story... Does Revenue per Download really matter?Looking at the charts:↳ We have Rollic leading the hybrid-casual transition.Abi Game, Boombit, Lion and Voodoo following,↳ Tapnation, Supersonic, Supercent and Kwalee holding on to Advertisement Revenue tight.↳ While Azur dominated worldwide downloads,they are also depending on the Ad revenue as well.↳ Looking at Western revenue,Azur and Say Games leading, while Rollic stillholding the revenue per download flag.↳ Abi Game’s rise in the west is noticeably high,And they are generating games on every genre. ↳ The most crucial thing here is that whileAzur, Say Games, Rollic and Abi Games Studiotesting new games very often, other studiosrely on their existing titles.↳ When it comes to Homa, Boombit and Crazylabs,further analysis should tell more about them.All quickly made […]

Gökhan Üzmez January 7

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