Today’s Landscape: Publishing-Perfect 2

While the mobile market can be incredibly lucrative, that’s only the case if your game gets noticed. And being noticed in a sea of other games is no easy feat. Many mobile games never even make it to launch due to low projections, and when they do make it, many titles fly under the radar or have only a brief moment in the limelight. Working with a publisher who understands your game and goals is a way to see through the storm and set your game on the right track. The Importance of Good Game Mechanics and a Robust Meta I want to delve into the critical components that make a game appealing to both players and publishers alike. Rather than focusing on sales pitches, let's objectively examine what publishers are currently seeking in the gaming landscape. The power of […]

John Wright July 22

Journal

Future of Gaming: Supercell into Hybridized Game Genres

New game genres are emerging rapidly as developers experiment with different in-game mechanics. These innovations have led to the creation of some of the most popular genres, including Battle Royale, Real-Time Strategy, and more. Supercell's new game, Squad Busters, exemplifies this trend. Squad Busters integrates game systems from Battle Royale, MOBA, and Strategy genres, offering an engaging experience with remarkably short game sessions. Core Game Loop Squad Busters primarily emphasizes the battle experience, incorporating many elements from its predecessor, Brawl Stars. Unlike the dual-stick mechanics of Brawl Stars, players in Squad Busters use a single stick to move their squad as a unit, and they can shoot when they stop moving. This change in player input makes the game more accessible to a wider audience. Game Economy Squad Busters primarily revolves around Gold. With Gold, players can: Buy more chest […]

Guy Yogev July 19

Journal

The Second Quarter of 2024 Was Full of Amazing Deals

Excited to share a sneak peek into our upcoming Global Gaming Deals Report for Q2’24 by InvestGame. All these deals were covered in our weekly news digest, and I even wrote detailed analyses for some of them! To celebrate the end of the quarter, I’d also like to share some of my favorite texts about the most significant transactions of the quarter, which were particularly fun to write🏰 Nintendo Acquired Shiver 🏰The acquisition of the studio behind the Hogwarts Legacy port for Nintendo Switch was an amazing opportunity to delve into Nintendo’s unique strategy.📱 Voodoo Acquired BeReal 📱This unexpected deal took everyone by surprise and remains intriguing post-closure, especially with BeReal already introducing ads!💼 Embracer Splitting into Three Companies 💼I’ve been covering Embracer’s deals since 2020, and writing about this split felt like watching the final episodes of a beloved […]

Andrei Zubov July 19

Journal

Hyper/Hybrid Casual Market Radar Series #9

🚀Hyper/Hybrid Casual Market Radar Series #9📊 1) Car goes by Creasaur Entertainment Co. led by Zeynep Ensert , Ata Karamanoğlu , Zivandar Aygündüz , Beliz KERA , Serdar Balta , Murat Can Gürel , Alperen Hakkı K. , Merve Güven Özfındık , Erdal Eren , Meral Efe Koçbulut and many morehttps://lnkd.in/gcc5h3sZ2) Swat Survival by Lazy Turtle Games led by llia stepanovhttps://lnkd.in/gEktafWJ3) Pill Jam 3d by RedLine Games led by Abhijeet Singhhttps://lnkd.in/gzBFy-gc4) Bob.G by Aztech Games led by Atakan Cakirhttps://lnkd.in/gdNXSkKf5) Art Thief 3d by Gameloops led by Rakib Jahan , Md Ahasanul Haque , Abdus Shaqur Ashiq , S M Sajibul Islam , Imtianul Haque Dimik , Borna Barua and many morehttps://lnkd.in/g35-timw6) Traffic Cards by Alexandr Janashvilihttps://lnkd.in/gFD8q2287) Sand match by Volt Games led by Pedro Cabaco , João Albuquerque , Goncalo Banha , Ramon Rodrigues , Gonçalo Perpétua , Miguel Boavida […]

Vamsi Penmetsa July 19

Journal

Black Friday Deals on Mobile Games

I recently came across this fantastic Black Friday offer in Dice Dreams. It got me thinking about how mobile games can capitalize on widespread shopping events to boost engagement and revenue. 📈 Leveraging Shopping Days in Games 🎮 Just like retailers, mobile games can benefit from incorporating special sales and offers during popular shopping days like Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Amazon Prime Day. These limited-time events can create a sense of urgency and excitement, encouraging players to make purchases they might otherwise skip.Check out this Black Friday Market in Dice Dreams! 👇 Why It Works 💡 - Increased Engagement: Special sales can bring players back into the game, increasing daily active users (DAUs).- Boosted Revenue: Discounted prices and exclusive items can drive in-game purchases, benefiting both players and developers.- Player Satisfaction: Offering great deals can enhance player satisfaction, making […]

Michael Kopelovich July 19

Journal

Game Development Doesn’t Mean Game Business

The financial success of game studios relies on business strategies. Hello mobile game enthusiasts! 🤩 Great to see you all! The gaming industry continues to show its tough side.😒 Back in 2019, it was almost routine to see games achieving 100 million downloads on Android and 30 million on iOS (1/3 ratio)... But now, that seems almost impossible, even 100m-15m is challenging... Nobody is happy with the situation. Is this the end of the world? Not at all. But it does call for a reckoning. Game development shouldn't be profitable for everyone; only the bests should remain. This is natural selection. I had to close my own studio, just like many other founders. The supply-demand balance is off – there's too much supply, making demand more selective. If supply decreases, demand will have fewer choices. Every industry has its ups […]

Yagiz Gur July 18

Journal

Hyper/Hybrid Casual Market Radar Series #7

🚀Hyper/Hybrid Casual Market Radar Series #7📊 1) Human lines by Glenn Verheijhttps://lnkd.in/ghKjrcw62) Elevator Escape by 4S Games led by Minsik Park , HyungSu Kim and many morehttps://lnkd.in/gCuG3R7y3) Pile Jam by CHEF Game Studio led by Mehmet Fatih SAHIN , Mustafa Erhan S. , Cengiz K. , Beyza Ezgi Özer , Mustafa Akkaya , Nazım Can Geygel , Buğrahan Bahadır , Yagmur Ulas , Işıl Demirci , Ender YILDIZ , Hatice Kılınçkesmez , Deniz Altunyollar , Hazar Şahmeran Açıkbaşhttps://lnkd.in/gReaJ3ci4) Fly Catcher by Any Games led by Firat Alpaydin , Ömer Akyüz , Aybars Kesebir and many morehttps://lnkd.in/g8KTXeMV5) Unpin me by Gybe Gameshttps://lnkd.in/g4Va8XSD6) Parking frenzy by Gybe Gameshttps://lnkd.in/gzMjK_PX7) Most wanted 3d - street action by Easy Clap Games led by Doruk Hasdoğan , Ece Seyrek , Mustafa Mete Seyrek , seda yüzlü , Safa Ebrar Bozkurt , Simla Beken , Deniz Doğa […]

Vamsi Penmetsa July 18

Journal

8 Essential Skills for Game Producers

Master these to become a top producer: 1. Vision Creation 🌟 - Craft a clear direction for the project- Convey and inspire the team with your vision- Align with stakeholders 2. Industry Knowledge 📚 - Understand gaming industry trends deeply- Perform continuous competitor analysis- Be well-versed in a broad range of references 3. Game Design 🎨 - Master game design principles- Understand project economy and balance- Be skilled in user flow and UI/UX- Find fun and work with game loops 4. Technical Understanding 💻 - Familiarize yourself with game engines and technologies- Know game development processes- Understand technical constraints and possibilities- Communicate effectively with technical teams 5. Product Thinking 🧠 - Grasp the product goal for each feature- Prioritize development based on product impact- Understand player needs and pain points 6. Leadership 🏆 - Inspire, motivate, and guide your team- […]

Anton Slashcev July 18

Journal

Improve Monetization or Engagement?

This is the main question when developing a new feature in Live Ops. Monetization: ↳ Improve monetization to increase revenue from the player directly. Examples: • Battle Pass• Piggy Bank and new offers• Holiday Events• Loot Boxes• Casino mechanics (Roulettes, slots)• Dynamic Difficulty Adjustment Engagement: ↳ Improve engagement by increasing retention and/or playtime, hoping to indirectly boost revenue. Examples: • Daily Bonus• Win Streak• Social Features (Clans, Friends, Leaderboard, etc.)• Happy Hours• Meta-related Features Both approaches aim to eventually improve LTV, but in different ways. Is it possible to improve both at the same time? In most cases, no.Trying to enhance both often leads to zero results.

Anton Slashcev July 18

Journal

Are Downloads and Revenue Indicators of Success?

Downloads and revenue are not indicators of a game's success.Many large games operate with a negative ROAS throughout their existence.Despite impressive numbers, they often bring their owners nothing but losses.So why do studios continue to buy traffic for such games and lose money?Here are several reasons:• Hope for profitability: Belief in a turnaround during the live-ops phase• Competitive strategy: Securing traffic share to force competitors to bid higher.• Inflating valuation: Boosting overall ARR before selling the company.• Attracting investments: Demonstrating potential to draw in investors.• Misjudgment: Sometimes, it's simply foolishness. :)There are rare cases where buying traffic for a loss-making game makes sense.But it's mostly an attempt to create the illusion of a successful game for investors or stakeholders.Profit > Volume

Anton Slashcev July 16

Journal

What Does R.I.S.E Mean for Supercell’s Action RPG Strategy?

Supercell went five years without a game making it to global launch. The studio pulled no punches when it came to killing games, but the team eventually broke this streak with the release of Squad Busters on May 29th. The launch was quickly followed up with another game announcement from Supercell in the form of Project R.I.S.E, a game built from the ashes of Clash Heroes. R.I.S.E is intended to be a new multiplayer action-focused RPG game, which sounds familiar because Supercell is working on another action RPG, mo.co. It doesn’t end there, either, since the studio invested in Phantom Gamelabs, which is also currently working on an action looter shooter game, Riftbusters. Are all of these games going to create competition among themselves and end up cannibalizing each other, or is Supercell looking to dominate the genre? After recently getting […]

Jakub Remiar July 16

Journal

Toxic vs Healthy Game Experience

Your game isn’t irreplaceable; Players have countless alternatives just like yours.If you make a mistake and frustrate a player, they'll simply find a better experience elsewhere. Here are some mistakes that can cause churn: Pre-Game:↳ 📂 High file sizes and long download times.↳ 📝 Requiring players to create an account before entering the game.FTUE (First Time User Experience):↳ 🧩 Offering a complex, text-heavy, and confusing onboarding experience.Mid-Game:↳⏳ Not having enough content to keep players engaged for 14 days or repetitive gameplay.Long-Game:↳🚫 Lack of Live-Ops and not fostering a sense of belonging among players.Yes, you can make these mistakes. Because you are human.But remember, the cost of losing a user is higher than acquiring a new one.So, aim to be healthy, not toxic.

Yagiz Gur July 16

Journal

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