Journal

Quick update about the new PROMOTION assets in Google Ads! 𝐃𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭? 👇 New feature in Google Ads Well, I could finally test this for one of my client, specifically for a Halloween event which also had special bundles for the users.I created 2 "Promotion" assets which I put in 2 different ad groups which literally got zero clicks (and one of the ad groups was old and spent +$7k during Halloween so the excuse of the new ad group is not valid here)The worst part: the message that says that Promotion asset stats are not available in App Campaign. Then why do they put this in beta for app campaigns?😂 That's all Folks 😂 😂 😂 Sometimes you win, sometimes you learn!

Creator programs. The Future of UA! Everyone & and their mom has one, including Roblox, Fortnite, MY.GAMES, and Supercell. What’s the ROI? 👇 𝗪𝗲𝗹𝗹, 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗯𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗳𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗻𝗲, 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴:↳Retention↳Feedback loops and positive PR↳Generate user-generated content↳Distribution↳Reduce fatigue↳Reward your most loyal fans↳Drive more revenueAll of the above has a direct impact on your User Acquisition activities. Supercell has recruited over 1,000 creators, claiming some have even increased viewership by 600%. I mean, you can’t pay bills with viewership, but still. That was their main UA channel until Brawl Stars blast. Newsletter here.

Is it true that former Activision Blizzard employees raise VC money more effectively? 🤔 Short answer: Yes, they do.Long answer: can be found in the new research by InvestGame, published on Deconstructor of Fun.For this, we analyzed all the startups founded by Activision Blizzard alumni who publicly secured funding over 2020-2024. Here are the key takeaways:— Average deal size: Higher.— Follow-up rounds: More frequent.— Products in the release: Marvel Snap and... Concord… — Exits: Already happening!For all the details and numbers, check out the new InvestGame x GDEV Inc. ($GDEV) feature via the link here! 👇P.S. Yes, it’s just like we did with ex-Rioters!

The Future of Web Games: Beyond What We Know Today 🚀 For the past 10–20 years, web gaming has not evolved and it's been on repeat, with little innovation beyond what we saw a decade or more ago‼️ The future of web gaming doesn’t just lie in improving what already exists and it isn't on instant games, current portals, etc.—it’s in reinventing how we think about gameplay, social experiences, 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. 🤝 Social Gameplay 2.0: Combining the best of social media and gaming mechanics to build deeper, meaningful connections and in-game interactions.🕹 New Forms of Play: Expanding our ideas of “play” and “habit” […]

Just started playing 'Chum Chum' by Big Fish Games—a super cute match-3 blast game! 🎉 One thing that stood out to me is their approach to the main screen design. They have a lot of content visibly locked behind level progression, which isn’t unusual, but the sheer amount is impressive. 📈 This layout gives players plenty of goals to work toward and adds a strong sense of progression, especially valuable for Day 1 retention. It’s a great way to keep players motivated to come back, curious to unlock the next feature or challenge. Anyone else noticing this approach in more games lately?App Store: https://lnkd.in/d2aCquigGoogle Play: https://lnkd.in/dzcNyD9n

The wildest ad I saw in the Hexa Sort 😆

In 5 pages, I evaluated Supersonic in 2024.7 Super insightful, data backed take aways: If you ever played a runner hyper casual game,Chances of that being a Supersonic game is HIGH.And, they like those odds. Because,In terms of 2024 publishing,They kept that strategy. Here are my personal insights:✦ In terms of new users, they get high tier countries.✦ Their Flagships are still runner games.✦ Runner Games + High Tier Countries =Succesful ad monetization..✦ These two things probably failed:1- A ‘’Mid-Core’’ attempt(s),2- Many puzzle games in logic sub-genre focus,Because Supersonic is used to see high Play Timeson runners that generates revenue on Ads.✦ They are probably sharing a high amount of same players on their top games, (ad channels)✦ Low number of attempt on new games can mean:1- Workin on something ‘’big’’ on a different genre,2- Testing different UA platforms,3- Using […]

I managed studios for 25 years. From Blizzard Korea to Huuuge Games.Operations can quickly fall apart..- Admin- Hiring- Training- Delegating - Management- Company growthIF you are not careful.As a CEO you have to manage all of them.On top of picking up the kids and tying your shoes.It is a lot.Here's what I learned about inefficient operations:1/ Lost moneyWhen operations are off track, resources bleed.I've seen medium studios lose $100k+ monthly.Due to bottlenecks and poor processes.2/ Slow decisionsEvery delayed decision = missed opportunityAt Gameloft, we scaled from 1 to 150 people.Quick decisions were our edge.3/ Team burnoutBad operations create chaos.Your best people get frustrated.They leave. (very common)5/ Growth ceilingYou can't scale what's broken.Fix operations first.Then aim for growth.The solution?1) Simplify 1st.2) Delegate FULL ownershipYou can do this through a fractional CEO or Full-time CXO.What is important is that you are not […]

Capybara GO - the new sensation by Habby making 🤑 $800k/day in revenue still without the US! This is going to be bigger than Survivor.io 👇 Habby did it again! Changing the whole mobile gaming landscape with the recent launch of Capybara GO! The game features a unique blend of gameplay mechanics that encourage passive play. The future of mobile gaming is here. Passive play, you heard it first on two & a half gamers.Most importantly, Capybara GO draws inspiration from various successful titles in the mobile gaming industry and putting them together piece by piece into perfect compatibility. A Very important insight: this game is basically a slot machine dressed up as an RPG. Is positioned as a social casino RPG, blending elements of both genres. Addictive and sticky gameplay? Hmm, where did we see that? Capybara GO creatives […]

Balancing something in a Game is Hard! To get it right, you’re expected to: ↳ Have a master’s degree in math ↳ Complete challenging courses ↳ Memorize endless formulas ↳ Be an Excel expertBut here’s the thing — it’s actually much simpler than it sounds: ↳You don’t need to cram math ↳ You need to understand itLet’s break down this idea using a basic, popular feature: the Wheel of Fortune Specifically, we’ll explore Variance and Volatility and see how they impact the player experience