2024 Market Predictions: 4-Month Review

As promised, I will review my 2024 predictions throughout the year, checking in once every 4 months (or every 1/3 of the year) to assess their accuracy, rather than avoiding accountability for what I said at the end of 2023.Monday - First 4 predictions (see screenshot below): 1. Consolidation Prediction accuracy: 5/10; somewhat occurred, but not entirely. The major news revolves around data.ai (by Sensor Tower) and Sensor Tower merging to become the largest and arguably most dominant data provider in gaming. Will this lead to a monopoly, potentially posing challenges for those of us in the industry? It's a possibility, but not for now. As for the consolidation of mobile games, significant movements have yet to materialize, but there's ample time for that to change. Embracer Group, however, took the opposite route by splitting into three parts, which contradicts […]

John Wright May 1

Journal

Competitive Landscape of Casual Slot Games

The competitive landscape of the casual slot games market is intensely challenging, particularly for new entrants or smaller studios with limited financial resources. This sector is dominated by well-established players like Scopely and Moon Active , who have deep pockets and extensive user acquisition capabilities. These leading companies engage in aggressive marketing campaigns and high eCPM (effective cost per thousand impressions) bids to secure valuable user traffic. This bidding war escalates the cost of acquiring new players, making it difficult for smaller companies to compete. For a new studio to make a significant impact in this market, it requires not just innovative gameplay or attractive graphics but also a substantial marketing budget. The high cost of entry, driven by the need to compete with large studios in user acquisition spending, can make the payback period lengthy and risky. In the […]

Vamsi Penmetsa April 30

Journal

Mobile Gaming and Apps in LATAM

Mobile gaming and apps are mature and competitive verticals. At the same time, many regions still hold strong potential for significant growth in the coming years. LATAM is one of such regions; particularly within the mobile sector (including mobile gaming, non-gaming apps, and the overall mobile industry).In the last months, I had a lot of discussions around that region. Since a lot of data points about mobile technology, gaming, and apps are scattered across various places, I decided to compile them (similar to how I approached the mobile, gaming non-gaming in previous posts in iOS, Africa, India, gaming overall). It starts with more general data and then it gets more and more detailed.- general data about LATAM- growth of internet and mobile connections (based on many sources)- detailed data about gaming and mobile gaming in LATAM (based on data ai data)- […]

Mariusz Gąsiewski April 29

Journal

If someone treats you like 💩 then leave.

If someone treats you like 💩 then leave. True for any relationship. I can’t believe it’s come to unions. You’ve got options.You build the most complex, multi-discipline software products on the planet. You create products that not only have to be engaging but full-on fun. The sticky products that every business wants. It’s worth considering an industry change.I quit producing games back in 2008. I was unsure what to do next and found myself in the worst economy since the Great Depression. One email to a game-adjacent software company in Sweden changed everything.Since then, I’ve:-> Traveled the world (all expenses paid) - one year, it was literally two trips around the globe.-> Gone to every game conference and event in existence.-> Visited hundreds upon hundreds of studios and publishers to see how they work.Now, I can live and work from […]

Jon Leslie April 29

Journal

The Importance of Turning Off

I have been struggling a lot lately with the work-life balance. Past few months were all about work. Even though I was always the one to tell to people surrounding me, that the weekends are made to turn off and one should not check the emails and attend the conference calls during the annual leave, I have recently forgot to control myself. What brought me to understanding, that I’m pretty close to the burnout.Right during the Mental Health Month, I have decided that in order to avoid the total burnout, it’s time to take care of myself and dedicate my free time to what I enjoy doing (apart from working which I still love).What rules I’ve written to myself to follow and remember in the upcoming month:✨ Remember that life is not only work, but also life itself✨ Spend certain […]

Elizaveta Savenkova April 26

Journal

What Designers do in the Gaming Industry.

What Does Designer in the Gaming Industry? 🖌️ The most common myth is that a designer draws sometimes. That is not always true.There are different types of designers in GameDev. Game Designer, Balance Designer, Combat, UX, Narrative, AI, Level, Economy, etc. But design is always about making decisions🛤️In smaller companies, designers can have a wider area of responsibilities, while in bigger have a narrower specialization. An example of this can be the presence of 3C or Rewards Designer.Designers can use different tools like Figma, Unreal Engine, Confluence, Excel, etc. So the result of their job can vary. Some can make documents or scripts, while others’s audio or spreadsheets.Are you aware of the designer’s responsibilities? Which is the most interesting for you? 🔨P.S. Sometimes it is easier to explain to your family that you are paid for playing games.

Eva Piatrushina April 22

Journal

Top 10 Hybrid & Hypercasual Games: Week 1, April 2024

TOP 10 HYBRID & HYPERCASUAL# 1, WEEK, APRIL, 2024 Hello Hyper Friends! 🤗Today we're back with our weekly list of Hybrid & Hypercasual.And in the first week of April, we had some news.We keep going with Supercent's game lead, "Pizza Ready!". 🍕The South Korean 🇰🇷 publisher has performed impressively with Idle Arcades.Since last year, they have published at least 8 Idle Arcades hits, accumulating over 236MM.Supercent has carved out a place for itself in the red ocean of the world's great Hybrid & Hypercasual publishers. 👏👏👏Speaking of big publishers, another Super (this time "Sonic") continues to accomplish feats.The Israeli 🇮🇱 publisher has placed another game (and another runner!) on its weekly top 10 list.Developed by Play Sense, “Bullet Army Run” is a Runner that follows the trend of the moment of combining with a Shooter but with the difference of […]

Carlos Pereira April 22

Events

G-Star Korea

14-17 November 2024! G-STAR 2024 will be held in Busan, South Korea. Location: BEXCO │ Busan Exhibition and Convention Center G-Star: Korea’s Largest Gaming Convention Since 2005 G-Star, Korea’s premier gaming convention, has been held annually since 2005. It stands as Korea's biggest gaming event, drawing in local and global audiences. G-Star in Busan: A Hub for Gaming Enthusiasts Unlike many other major events in Korea, G-Star is hosted in Busan, not Seoul. The convention takes place at Bexco, Busan's largest convention center, offering a wide array of activities including new game IP launches, gaming tournaments, game demos, and business meetings. G-Star has become a crucial event in the gaming industry, attracting numerous local and international participants and visitors every year. Celebrating 20 Years of G-Star 2023 marks a significant milestone as G-Star celebrates its 20th anniversary. To honor this special […]

Gamigion April 20

Journal

What are Game Design Tools?

🛠️ What are Game Design Tools? I had an interesting conversation with Kateryna Shchotkina where she asked about some job vacancies with the requirement to know Game Design Tools.Game Design does not equal Game Development in this case.The answer may vary from different factors:- Game genre. Working on Match-3 is not the same as on shooter.- Designers’ responsibilities on this project. Some do coding, some combine designer and PM roles.- Company Policies. Not all companies have licenses. But the most common are- 📖 Content Management Tools (Confluence, Docs). For documentation and knowledge sharing.- ⚙️ Engines (Unreal, Unity, Godot, Twine). For making gameplay and prototyping.- 🗂️ Project Management Tools (Trello, Jira). For task and progress tracking.- 🧮 Spreadsheets (Excel, Sheets). For organizing and analyzing data.Do you use these tools? Or can you share yours?P.S. Tools from IKEA are saviors! You can […]

Eva Piatrushina April 19

Journal

Simplicity in Game Design is Key: Clear Them All! by Voodoo

Finding enjoyment in games can be challenging for gamers, as they often approach every aspect with great seriousness. This can pose an even greater challenge for game designers aiming to refine the fun elements in their games. As games become simpler, the task of making them enjoyable becomes increasingly difficult. However, Collect 'em All! Clear the Dots, developed by Turkish developer Tarboosh Games and published by French publisher Voodoo, excels with its strong core loop, captivating players from the get-go. Core Game Loop At the heart of Collect 'em All! lies the simple concept of connecting dots of the same color. Longer chains of dots reward players with special boosters that aid in clearing more areas on the playing field. These boosters can be activated during gameplay for players' use. Every five levels, players encounter a new twist on dot-connecting, […]

Guy Yogev April 15

Journal

Honkai 3rd part 2 – Is it a new game or just a new season?

🔖“Honkai 3rd part 2 - Is it a new game or just a new season?” 🤔💭 With such thoughts, I read news about an upcoming update. Should be good for re-engagement of old players, maybe even suitable for attracting new ones… 🔎 Developers announced massive changes with a fresh start on the planet Mars, a new main chars trio, and lots of other stuff in terms of QoL and combat polishing. Also, there is a heavy emphasis on vertical mobility and on the ability to ride a yo-yo as a transport. But most importantly, you don’t need to play or even know the original Honkai 3rd story from years of previous content to play it. Sounds cool? Probably. Or at least it seemed so at the beginning...🧐 I was interested in researching the split of old and new content: how […]

Sergei Zenkin April 15

Journal

The Call of Duty Puzzle No One Has Solved

Call of Duty Mobile (CODM) provided a watershed moment for mobile, proving Western gamers are ready for virtual dual analog stick controls and heralding a wave of Eastern titles to the West. Or did it? Four years after CODM's launch, the graveyard of aspiring mobile shooters' is extraordinary: Undawn, Lost Light, Blood Strike, Valorent (canceled), and Battlefield (canceled). These are high-profile games, too: Undawn reportedly had a 300-person team on a $130M budget to only amass $300k in revenue last month. Conversely, a few titles have succeeded, albeit primarily outside of the West: PUBG ($1.1B), Crossfire (~$500M), Arena Breakout ($50M), and Knives Out (~$109M). However, in the U.S., CODM accounts for 97% of revenue. Surely, this sets up Warzone Mobile for success? CODM embraced an auto-fire mechanic to navigate the inherent awkwardness of mobile FPS controls. Dual analog sticks require […]

Phillip Black April 15

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