Look at Gaming #345 | 12.11.2023

GM! Do all roads lead to gaming (for NFT PFP projects)?

Pudgy Penguins will launch Pudgy World in 2024.

This profile picture (PFP) NFT project was started in July 2021. There's been a lot of history happening between then and now. There was a some issues with the original owners, which led to a buyout, then recently there was a huge Pudgy Penguin toy rollout across 2000 Walmart stores.

After toys, I supposed the logical next step would be a game?

This order of operations of going from profile picture to merchandising then to gaming could be a playbook many adopt. What is commendable though is how Pudgy Penguins went with a physical product rollout first instead of a digital one, like many other projects.

I think that by taking such a large (and difficult) step first, the Pudgy Penguin team is crossing that chasm from being a web3 niche to mainstream acceptance. It was quite a strategic move to do the hard thing first which greatly reduce the perceived execution risk in their next venture.

In other news, there a lot of great games released or will be release soon. The Games Award is usually the platform that studios and publishers use to drop new trailers and this year was no different. I'm most looking forward to The Finals and Black Myth Wu Kong. I feel that Chinese mythology/tales are usually neglected in gaming so it's great that I get to immerse myself into an old favorite childhood tale.


-----

⚡ Spotlight 🤩
Pudgy Penguins Reveal 'Pudgy World' NFT Game Rollout Plans | Decrypt.gg


🌊 MARKET 📞
The animated VTuber Ironmouse won Content Creator of the Year at the Game Awards | TechCrunch

Don’t worry. The Game Awards shows cool games are coming in 2024 | GamesBeat


💎 Deep Dives 🔎
data.ai: What awaits mobile games in 2024 | GameDev Reports

Newzoo: Comparison of Launches of EA Sports FC 24 and FIFA 23 | GameDev Reports

Unlocking Role-Play For The Masses | Konvoy Ventures


🌈 Platforms 🏠
Former DotEmu and Playdigious co-founder announces alternative app store finder, StoreRider


✨ Web 3⃣ + Meta 🌐
Pudgy Penguins Reveal 'Pudgy World' NFT Game Rollout Plans | Decrypt.gg


🧠 Knowledge Hub 📘
What is animation in video games: Basic Principles & Applications | Kevuru Games


💲 Fundraising 🤑
Animoca Brands Boosts 'Mocaverse' Funding to $31.88 Million With Dapper, Polygon Onboard | Decrypt.gg


👾 Game & Stats Releases 📊
The Finals launches with destructive chaos like I’ve never seen before | The Verge


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Drop a gg!

Look at Gaming #346 | 12.13.2023


Epic week at Epic Games. The Fortnite creator took home the dub. The Jury decided in favor of Epic thus implicating Google for having an illegal monopoly.

Quick checklist of the claims:
[X] Google has a monopoly on Android App Store
[X] Google has monopoly on in-app payment processing
[X] Google practiced anticompetitive behaviors
[X] Epic Games was hurt because of the aforementioned points

Epic didn't ask for many monetary damages. Epic only wants the freedom to operate its own app store and own payment rails. Though that actually means ALL developers will have that freedom as well.

But we still don't know if the judge would grant that to Epic yet. So the movie ain't over.

Now would be a great time to read up on all the alternative app stores and out-of-app monetization methods.

In other news, Xbox thinking of adding an ad tier to its Game Pass subscription, Disney is stepping up its gaming ambitions, Bethesda opens up its mod marketplace. Oh and Fortnite's LEGO experience pulled in 2.4M players.

Catch y'all later!

-----

⚡ Spotlight 🤩
Epic win: Jury decides Google has illegal monopoly in app store fight | The Verge


🌊 MARKET 📞
Epic win: Jury decides Google has illegal monopoly in app store fight | The Verge

Epic CEO Tim Sweeney: the post-trial interview | The Verge

Exclusive: Disney "just starting" with ambitious gaming plans | Axios

Out-of-app monetisation outside of Google Play and the Apple App Store is on the rise | PGBiz

E3 is officially over forever | The Verge


💎 Deep Dives 🔎
Money Trouble | SystemTalk

Which new games made the biggest splash at The Game Awards? | GameDiscoverCo

The 5 Characteristics of Successful (and Less Successful) Founders | Deconstructor of Fun

Epic v. Google | Game Changers


🌈 Platforms 🏠
The regulation is coming from inside the house! | TechCrunch

Xbox considering free (with ads) Game Pass tier | GameDeveloper

Bethesda relaunches paid mod store for Skyrim: Special Edition | GameDeveloper


✨ Web 3⃣ + Meta 🌐
Gods Unchained Rated 'Adults Only' for Play-to-Earn Elements, Booted From Epic Games Store | Decrypt.gg

Oh Baby! Games launches Oh Baby Kart racing title in SpongeBob universe | GamesBeat


💲 Fundraising 🤑
Allstar raises $12M to scale gaming content creation platform | GamesBeat

Magma raises $5M for game art creation and project management platform | GamesBeat


👾 Game & Stats Releases 📊
Lego Fortnite’s debut builds momentum with 2.4M people playing at once | TechCrunch


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Drop a gg!

‼️ GAM3S.GG's Web3 Games Award Night 💥

🗣️ Thursday, 14 Dec at 3 PM UTC (10 AM ET) 🗣️

Go support Eliza + team from GAM3S.GG!

Grab some popcorn and tune in:

🟣 https://twitch.tv/GAM3Sgg
🔴 https://youtube.com/@GAM3Sgg
🔵 https://x.com/GAM3Sgg_

Look at Gaming #347 | 12.21.2023


GM! Happy Holidays everyone! This will be the last news headlines post for the year.

We're cooking ov'r here at tcl so stay toasty my frens.

Catch you in 2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣4️⃣.

———

The top headline that caught my attention was that Overwolf, the premier modding platform, paid over $200M to creators in 2023, a 23% YoY growth.

What's more noteworthy is the payout growth — $29M in 2020 and nearly 7x to $200M by 2023. This speaks volume on how mod culture is commanding big bucks. There are 165k+ creators powering an ecosystem of 41M monthly active users.

Mods increases the re-playability and thus lengthens longevity of a game. In an ever-expensive UA landscape, being able to increase the Life-time Value (LTV) of a player is invaluable. From large renowned publishers to indie studios, everyone is aiming to turn their game IP into a platform. Mods will be even more prevalent in the future.

But how does the creator payout distribution look like? I've mentioned on a Twitter Space with PaladinsDAO that UGC takes on a super power law. Meaning that these "home-made" experiences vary drastically across the spectrum and usually have a very long tail distribution.

Overwolf's creator payout distribution looks like this:
$100>: 76000
$100+: 18000
$1000: 5600
$10k: 1400
$100k: 260
$300k: 92
$1M: 16
$3M: 4

Though the distribution of the whole gaming industry looks like this, it is way more prominent in the UGC space. Building games and fun experiences is tough even for the professionals so it's unsurprising the distribution is even worst in UGC.

Other readings that I liked this week is a blog post from Weiming (Games and Game Industry) about the Top 20 Gaming-Related IPs on Netflix and an article on how to conduct UA in Japan and Korea.

I hope everyone has a wonderful rest of 2023!

🎄 MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY NEW YEAR! 🎆

-----

⚡ Spotlight 🤩
Overwolf pays $201M to in-game modders and creators in 2023 | GamesBeat


🌊 MARKET 📞
Big publishers forced to innovate through M&A, says Daglow | GamesIndustry.biz


💎 Deep Dives 🔎
Top 20 Gaming-Related IPs on Netflix by Hours Watched - H1 2023 | Games and Games Industry

GTA VI Looks Great, but Online It’s the Real Topic (Opinion) | Deconstructor of Fun

Gaming is our Best Defense | Konvoy Ventures

mindGAME: Content drops ruled The Game Awards, not celebrities | GamesBeat


🌈 Platforms 🏠
Overwolf pays $201M to in-game modders and creators in 2023 | GamesBeat

Google to change app store's billing options post-antitrust suit | GameDeveloper


✨ Web 3⃣ + Meta 🌐
Epic won’t ban blockchain games over adults-only ratings | The Verge

Ubisoft's 'Champions Tactics' Ethereum NFTs Generate Millions After Free Mint | Decrypt.gg

Immutable Debuts Passport Gaming Wallet in 'Gods Unchained' and More | Decrypt.gg

Gam3 reveals the best blockchain games of 2023 | GamesBeat



🧠 Knowledge Hub 📘
Game Developer's 2023 Wrap-Up: 10 Must-Read Deep Dives | GameDeveloper

Mobile Game Testing: Things You Need To Know | Kevuru Games

How to effectively implement social features into your LiveOps strategy | PGBiz

Game Developer's 2023 Wrap-Up: 10 Must-Read Featured Blogs | GameDeveloper

How to scale up your UA in Japan and Korea? | GameDeveloper


💲 Fundraising 🤑
Farcana Raises $10 Million for NFT Esports Shooter That Pays Out Bitcoin | Decrypt.gg

Social Giant Line Raises $140 Million for NFT Push, 'Brown and Friends' Games | Decrypt.gg
https://decrypt.co/209736/social-giant-line-raises-140-million-nft-push-brown-friends-games

Barnyard Games raises $3.4m in seed round to make games for Fortnite | PGBiz
https://www.pocketgamer.biz/news/83070/barnyard-games-raises-34m-in-seed-round-ready-for-mega-golf-fun-zone-on-fortnite/

Hot Five: MyGamez raises $1.6m, Peak soft launches Star Match, and Monster Hunter Now hits $100m | PGBiz
https://www.pocketgamer.biz/feature/83068/hot-five-mygames-investment-star-match-monster-hunter-now/


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Look at Gaming #348 | 1.8.2024

GM and Happy New Year! This is the first edition of your daily newsletter for 2024.

There were a ton of new subscribers so here's the tldr on what we do here everyday. We will deliver you the best curated and aggregated news feed across the whole gaming industry (web2 and web3). Additionally, I'll also provide some short thoughts and analysis on key headlines.

This channel will be more web2 centric (check out our web3 channel for REAL-TIME actionable alpha).

Kicking off the year, I think this new integration between Walmart and Unity is quite interdasting. The Unity SDK will offer a real-world purchase API that will deliver IRL goods to you via Walmart. Why settle for just digital merchandise when you could get the real thing too.

The transaction will occur in game. This means that Unity will also provide a payment processing capabilities to allow the players to remain immersed in the game while successfully conducting a purchase. Immersion Commerce aka Immerce. You heard it here first.

This unlocks a whole new world for merchandising. In-game cosmetics would be turned into merch — probably leads to higher user spend since there's more value provided. Furthermore, I think this ecommerce element could be a new social layer. Imagine being able to send gifts to an online crush or to send some bandaids to a player you just completely dominated in a fighting game.

A few other headlines that caught my eyes were Netflix possibly adding an ad network to their mobile games, Nexon getting fined for deceptive practices, and a coverage piece on Fortnite's LEGO experience.

That's it for the first edition! I'll catch y'all tomorrow.


-----

⚡ Spotlight 🤩
"Nice in-game outfit - I'll take it!" Walmart and Unity team up for new in-app purchase API | PGBiz


🌊 MARKET 📞
Video Game Insights: State of the PC games (Steam) market in 2023 | GameDev Reports

Tencent is now spending over HK$1 billion A DAY on its own shares | PGBiz

The top grossing mobile game publishers of 2023 | Mobilegamer.biz

Streaming Superstars of 2023: The Year's Top 10 Female Creators | Stream Hatchet

SteamDB: In 2023, 14,533 games were released on Steam | GameDev Reports

Visual Capitalist: 50 Years of Video Game Revenue | GameDev Reports

Top Games In Live-Streaming: December 2023 | Stream Hatchet

Nexon’s CEO on Leaving a Legacy, Fostering Talent, & AI in Games | Naavik


💎 Deep Dives 🔎
MarketWire x Pixels & Profits | Roblox Domination: #1 Downloads and #1 Revenue | GameMakers

A Shifting Esports Landscape | Konvoy Ventures


🌈 Platforms 🏠
Netflix considers adding in-app purchases and ads to games, report says | TechCrunch

"Nice in-game outfit - I'll take it!" Walmart and Unity team up for new in-app purchase API | PGBiz

Antitrust regulator hits Nexon Korea with record fine for deceptive practices | PGBiz

Why Fortnite is getting into cozy gaming | TechCrunch


✨ Web 3⃣ + Meta 🌐
Ready Player One author and Futureverse team up for Readyverse Studios metaverse | GamesBeat


🧠 Knowledge Hub 📘
Getting the most out of a games incubator | GamesIndustry.biz

Master How To Make A Game Design Document | Kevuru Games


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Drop a gg!

Look at Gaming #349 | 1.9.2024

GM! Today we're going to to take a trip to East Asia.

Niko Partners published a report indicating that the East Asia (Chinese Taipei, Japan, Korea) games market is worth nearly $30B in 2023. With just 108M gamers, this region is home to one of the highest paying players in the world.

Japan is the third-largest video game market, which contributed 60%+ of all games revenue for this region. It is also home to 50% of the total gamers in the region. Though Korean players are dominating in the PC market in terms of both revenue and number of gamers.

Approximately half of these Korean gamers spend their gaming time in PC bangs (internet cafes). Unlike other countries, esports-related titles like League performs extraordinarily well in Korea —maybe because esports was practically invented there.

In other news, we see that Marvel Snap creators raised $100M, Unity removed 1800 jobs, Bytedace is selling its game assets to Tencent, and Sony is doubling down on its transmedia push after big successes like Twisted Metal and The Last of Us. There's going to be a God of War and Horizons Forbidden West series — I'm psyched for this.

Shoutout to the fellas (JACL from Delphi and Alex from Shima) on their Doubl3Tap podcast! They had the one and only Aiko from Folius on the pod. We're big fans of these folks so be sure to check them out.


-----

⚡ Spotlight 🤩
East Asia gaming markets target $30.8 billion mark by 2027 | PGBiz


🌊 MARKET 📞
East Asia gaming markets target $30.8 billion mark by 2027 | PGBiz

ByteDance discussing game asset sale with Tencent | GameDeveloper

Unity is cutting 1,800 jobs in the name of "profitable growth" | GameDeveloper


💎 Deep Dives 🔎
Just how big have PC & console game catalogs got? | The GameDiscover Co

Clash Mini Faces the Make it or Break it Moment | Deconstructor of Fun


🌈 Platforms 🏠
AppsFlyer launches AI-based creative optimization for marketing campaigns | GamesBeat

Sony doubled down on game TV and film adaptations at CES 2024 | GamesBeat


✨ Web 3⃣ + Meta 🌐
The State of Web3 Trading Card Games | Naavik

Ep 003 - Aiko (Folius Ventures) | Doubl3Tap

Bitcoin Devs Preserve Classic Nintendo Games With Ordinals | Decrypt.gg


💲 Fundraising 🤑
ArenaX Labs raises $6M to develop AI-powered games | GamesBeat

Second Dinner raises $100m in Series B funding round | GamesIndustry.biz


👾 Game & Stats Releases 📊
Aromajoin unveils scent-based XR devices at CES 2024 | GamesBeat

Apple's $3,500 Vision Pro VR Headset Launches Next Month | GameInformer


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Drop a gg!

Look at Gaming #350 | 1.10.2024

GM! Happy Hump Day everyone. Hope your week is going well.

Today’s headline I want to spotlight is about web store platforms for your mobile game.

These are external-game and off-platform monetization channels that supplements the in-game store. The benefits are that these web stores are out of Apple/Android’s control.

There are effectively only two choices: (1) Build Your Own; (2) Use White-Label Platforms.

It’s expensive and intensive to build your own web store so this is usually reserved for large publishers who have the resources and capabilities. The advantageous are that these publishers would be the Merchant of Record, which means they get to save on royalty fees.

These royalty fees are charged by white-label platforms for their services. Since these platforms handle not only the technical elements of the web store but also the payment processing, which includes refunds, chargebacks, fraud, etc. For delivering this ease of use and seamless integrations, these platforms charge as high as 15%. Examples of these service providers are Xsolla and Appcharge.



-----

⚡ Spotlight 🤩
How to choose a web store platform for your mobile game | PGBiz


🌊 MARKET 📞
Twitch reportedly laying off 35% of staff | GamesIndustry.biz

2024 predictions for mobile gaming | MobileDevMemo

Podcast: Looking forward to 2024 in mobile gaming (with Matthew Kanterman) | MobileDevMemo


💎 Deep Dives 🔎
2023 Top 5 Themes in Content Monetization | Niko Partners


🧠 Knowledge Hub 📘
A Comprehensive Guide For RPG Weapons | Kevuru Games

How to choose a web store platform for your mobile game | PGBiz


👾 Game & Stats Releases 📊
PlayStation achieved record 123M monthly active users in December 2023 | GameDeveloper


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Drop a gg!

Look at Gaming #351 | 1.11.2024

GM! Many maaaannyy games will be launching this year. And these games are going to need help with distribution.

But before we dive in, head over to our web3-only REAL-TIME news channel here.

Influencer marketing is the number one way to get users in web3 gaming. So let's see what are some good tips on executing an influencer strategy.

1. Get the content right. Web3 attention economy is peaking. Airdrop here, bridger there, referral links everywhere. Just having a playdrop campaign isn't enough nor is just giving out WLs. Get the content right by doing something rememberable and topical — like putting a hat on your star character, Sipher INU wif hat.

2. Don't cut corners on legal. Get the contracts, payout structures, timelines, and expectations aligned. Layout the proper benchmarks that you agree to hit and have weekly reviews that those KPIs are met. Having a tight feedback loop will allow you to optimize better while keeping everyone accountable to the agreement. Who's posting? Who's retweeting? When to post and how long are they kept? Can you reuse the content elsewhere? A few questions to consider.

3. Finding the right mix of creators. Imo, follower count is a baseless metric. Optimize for engagement. Even if the following is low, you'd want high quality installs over mass volume, especially if it's a playdrop. Target a 3%+ engagement rate. When doing video-related promos, look out for sporadic but high viewership count (lacks consistency), viewership peaks at the end (viewers could easily skip your promo). Fortunately, the list of web3 gaming influencers are quite small so you don't need to use tools to find time.

4. Retargeting and reengaging. Even after getting these users to playdrop, claim, sign up, or whatever the call to action was, you should always retarget them. Convert them into your discord, set up community managers to engage with these new players effectively. Get their twitter handles, create a twitter list, and use that as your future outreach/retouch list.

These are just a few points to consider! Wish you the best with your guys' launch!!

H/t to Matej over at Brutally Honest for sharing this guide.

-----

⚡ Spotlight 🤩
Influencer Marketing Guide for UA: How to Execute in 2024 | Brutally Honest


🌊 MARKET 📞
China and US accounted for more than 50% of the $107 billion spent on mobile games in 2023 | PGBiz

The Golden Twig Awards 2023 | Deconstructor of Fun

Nintendo shares hit record high due to Switch 2 anticipation, Saudi investment speculation | GamesIndustry.biz

Crunchbase: Investments in gaming startups at venture stages in 2023 reached a minimum since 2018 | GameDev Reports


💎 Deep Dives 🔎
Financial Comparison of Gaming-Related Public Companies and M&A Capacities - 2024 Edition | Games & Game Industry


🌈 Platforms 🏠
Netflix Games gains traction with installs up 180% year-over-year in 2023, thanks to GTA and others | TechCrunch


🧠 Knowledge Hub 📘
Influencer Marketing Guide for UA: How to Execute in 2024 | Brutally Honest

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Drop a gg!

Look at Gaming #352 | 1.12.2024

GM GM! Happy Friday. Just a short one today.

2023 was really a banner year for mobile apps. Here are some stats:
• 5-Hours per day (Record highs in time-spent on mobile)
• $171B were spent on mobile
• $362B mobile ad spend (up 8% YoY)

Non-gaming apps led. RPGs was the top genre, accounting for 30% of mobile rev despite being only 3% of downloads.

In other news, Niko Partners did a dive on China's new gaming regulation, there's also more lay offs at Discord and Playtika, and lastly check out The Verge's article on new WiFi.

Have a great weekend everyone!

-----

⚡ Spotlight 🤩
2023 saw record highs in time spent on mobile and almost half a million app installs every minute | PGBiz


🌊 MARKET 📞
Wi-Fi 7 quietly took off while everyone was looking at AI | The Verge

Discord cuts 17% of employees to ‘sharpen its focus’ | GamesBeat

2023 saw record highs in time spent on mobile and almost half a million app installs every minute | PGBiz

New Draft Gaming Regulations in China | Niko Partners

Playtika reduces staff by 10% | GamesIndustry.biz


👾 Game & Stats Releases 📊
Switch 2 Allegedly Launches This September, According To An AI Company's Press Release | GameInformer

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Drop a gg!

🔔 Weekly Gaming Digest 👀

In The Loop w/ kapital_k (Week 0️⃣2️⃣ of 2024)

Here are the top five headlines and fundraising announcements plus a collection of content from independent creators that you missed this week!

———

TOP 5 HEADLINES 📣

📌 Data.ai Report Highest Time Spent in Mobile in 2023

📌 Netflix Games Installs Growth 180% YoY & Intro of IAP and Ads

📌 Cut The App Store and Go w/ Web Store for Mobile Games

📌 Unity & Walmart Releases Purchase API for IRL Goods

📌 East Asia Market $380B in 2027

———

thecoreloop FEATURED PICKS 💖:

🗣 Blogs
• Visual Capitalist // 50 Years of Video Games Revenue — link

➡Pods
• Doubl3Tap // Yat Siu (Animoca Brands) — link


💲 Raises
• $106M raised this week. Second Dinner (Marvel Snap creator) raised $100M and Arena AI creators raised $6M.

———

Check out our Substack for the full newsletter!

Look at Gaming #353 | 1.16.2024

GM! Hope everybody had a great holiday weekend.

I'm kicking this week off with a trend/movement that I'm excited to see in 2024. But before I dive in, head over to thecoreloop's Web3 REAL-TIME news channel for actionable alpha (here).

So the movement I'm referring to is the Xbox mobile app store. Now that Microsoft successfully acquired Activision Blizzard (and King), its game catalog as well as mobile know-how has drastically improved.

The are definitely some regulatory tailwind such as the DMA in Europe and the recent Epic v Google ruling. But these types of changes work slowly through the system. But nonetheless these legal landmarks have created a gap of opportunity to take on the mobile store duopoly.

Xbox isn't with out its own strengths. Microsoft operates multiple digital store fronts so there's definitely high brand equity recognizability for the consumer. Moreover, these users are already opted into Microsoft's payment rails and payment systems. Combining these inherent strengths with the mobile gaming catalog and the reach of King's Candy Crush, Xbox mobile store is poised to make a valiant attempt at the throne.

More than two decades ago, Microsoft created the Xbox, which rose to being one of the top 3 console contenders today. I wouldn't bet against Microsoft.

Hope everyone has a great kickoff to their week!


-----

⚡ Spotlight 🤩
Will an Xbox app store break Apple and Google’s duopoly this year? Let’s hope so | Mobilegamer.biz


🌊 MARKET 📞
Will an Xbox app store break Apple and Google’s duopoly this year? Let’s hope so | Mobilegamer.biz

data.ai: Mobile Gaming Market in 2023 (State of Mobile 2024) | GameDev Reports

Gaming Industry Report - Q4 2023 | Konvoy Ventures


💎 Deep Dives 🔎
Elena Grigorian on My.Games: Strengths, Challenges, and Future | Deconstructor of Fun

Death, and rebirth, of virtual reality | SuperJoost Playlist

The Unity We Asked For | SystemTalk


🌈 Platforms 🏠
The new Ubisoft+ and getting gamers comfortable with not owning their games | GamesIndustry.biz


✨ Web 3⃣ + Meta 🌐
GameStop's crypto plans collapse as retailer prepares to shut NFT marketplace | GameDeveloper

Assassin's Creed Maker Ubisoft Backs Yet Another Crypto Gaming Network | Decrypt.gg

Nike Will 'Go Way Deeper' Into Video Game Fashion Amid NFT Push | Decrypt.gg

Game Over: More Than 30% of Crypto Games Have Been Discontinued | Decrypt.gg

Solana Game 'Nyan Heroes' Hits Epic Store Ahead of Airdrop | Decrypt.gg


👾 Game & Stats Releases 📊
Scopely finally brings Stumble Guys to console with Xbox launch | GamesBeat

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Drop a gg!

Look at Gaming #354 | 1.18.2024

GM! The biggest news has to be that Apple is legally forced to allow third-party off-platform payment options.

The final shots in this legal battle was fired by the Supreme Court when they denied Apple's and Epic's appeal. Apple must now allow developers to offer different payment solutions for in-game purchases.

But of course Apple wasn't going to roll over. The tech giant reacted by implementing a new 27% fee that'll be charged on external platform payments with a large full-screen-size pop-up that warns users that they're going to be using an authorized payment option. Then the hero we don't deserve, Tim Sweeney took to Twitter to call out Apple on these new practices. The friction to purchase off-platform is immense.

Unfortunately with the 27% Apple tax plus the third-party payment processor's fee of 3 to 6%, game studios and publishers may be paying more than they would've with Apple's 30% fee. So spicy. Full-frontal all-out business warfare.

In other news, I want to highlight this AMAZING report that our good friend Jon Huang from Bitkraft authored. The piece discusses the growth and innovation of Asia's gaming industry, particularly why this region will be the dominant area to pay attention to. It also mentions that Asia accounted for a significant portion of global gaming venture capital deals in the first half of 2023. The East also accounts for 46% of global gaming revenues in 2022 and home to 2.4 billion gamers.

However, investing in Asia's gaming industry requires a deep understanding of the local context, diverse user base, and interconnected ecosystem. Therefore Bitkraft's Asia investment thesis is upheld by these four key pillars.

The four key pillars are:
1. Mobile-Native Cross Platform Games
2. Focusing on Core Genres
3. Asia as a Bastion of Web3 Gaming Innovation
4. Platforms, Infrastructure, and Applied Game Mechanics

Enjoy some good reading this weekend!

-----

⚡ Spotlight 🤩
Despite new regulations Apple will still be able to charge 27% on external platform payments | PGBiz


🌊 MARKET 📞
Niko Partners 2024 Predictions | Niko Partners

Despite new regulations Apple will still be able to charge 27% on external platform payments | PGBiz

Supreme Court rejects Epic vs Apple appeals | GamesIndustry.biz

Tencent slashed investments in 2023 | GamesIndustry.biz


💎 Deep Dives 🔎
The Silk Road of Asia Gaming | Bitkraft

MarketWire | Let me be clear: Monopoly Go is "successful" | GameMakers

Is the latest game subscription 'moral panic' justified? | GameDiscoverCo

Apple to Developers: Heads I win, tails you lose (part 2) | MobileDevMemo

Cookie deprecation in Chrome: who is impacted? | MobileDevMemo


💲 Fundraising 🤑
Build a Rocket Boy raises $110M to launch Everywhere and UGC tools | GamesBeat

On Off Games lands $1.5M investment from Mobavenue in Singapore | PGBiz

Pine Games secures $2.25M for mobile game development in Istanbul | PGBiz

3thix raises $8.5M to monetize Web3 games | GamesBeat


👾 Game & Stats Releases 📊
Eddy Gordo Is Tekken 8’s First DLC Fighter, Opening Cinematic Released | GameInformer


-----

Drop a gg!

🔔 Weekly Gaming Digest 👀

In The Loop w/ kapital_k (Week 0️⃣3️⃣ of 2024)

Here are the top five headlines and fundraising announcements plus a collection of content from independent creators that you missed this week!

———

TOP 5 HEADLINES 📣

📌 Apple Still Charging 27% Fee Despite New Regs

📌 Can Xbox Be A Candidate To Disrupt App Store Duopoly of Google & Apple

📌 Justin Kan's Stash, a New Alternative Web Shops

📌 Microsoft Extending Exclusive Titles To Playstation & Nintendo

📌 Palworlds, imagine Pokemon with guns, sold 1M copies in 8 hours

———

thecoreloop FEATURED PICKS 💖:

🗣 Blogs
• Bitkraft // The Silk Road of Asia Gaming — link —> Shoutout to our friend Jon Huang on this FRESH and INSIGHTFUL piece.

➡Pods
• two & a half gamers // Dissecting Apple's 27% Fee — link


💲 Raises
• $129M raised this week. The two that stood out are Build a Rocket Boy which raised $110M and 3Thix, a new web3 monetization platform.

———

Check out our Substack for the full newsletter!

Look at Gaming #355 | 1.22.2024

GM! Welcome back to another week. Hope everyone had a great weekend and squeezed in some game time.

Palworld took over the gaming world. If you haven't been paying attention, Palworld is a monster-catcher game that could be summed up with this phrase: "Imagine Pokemon with guns".

Pocket Pair Inc, is the name of the studio behind this ingenious creation of smashing together some nostalgia and violence (haha). This game reminded me of that live-action Power Ranger movie where it was dark and gritty. Granted it wasn't the best depiction but it gave me the same vibes.

What Palworld got correct is that balance between "narrative" and genre. Obviously, it isn't blatantly claiming that its a Pokemon game but every single player (myself included) have made hundreds of Pokemon-related references while playing the game. This is awesome for Pocket Pair. They didn't need to claim it, they just let the players get there on their own.

The second bit is how the team nailed the genre. There's always a spectrum of players when it comes to survival games, some wants to rage war against all, others just want to be crafting maxis, and some are nomads just drifting along. Palworld provided a bit for everyone without diluting the potent Fun, with a capital F.

You can rage war with a crafted flameflower from your fire-breathing Pal, while exploring all the different landscapes.

This may spark a trend of taking IP and flipping it 180 in terms of gameplay/genre.

I aggregated a list of threads written by folks in web3 on Palworld. I suspected that it was going to be a trend. Initially, it was just Jon Lai (a16z) and Jon Huang (bitkraft) who tweeted about it but now we're up to 9 threadooors.

Hope you have a wonderful rest of your week. Chat soon.

Drop a gg!

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⚡ Spotlight 🤩
Palworld takes over the gaming world | @0xkapital_k (thecoreloop)


🌊 MARKET 📞
The State of Gaming VC in 2024 | Naavik

The future of gaming is device-agnostic; it’s time for marketers to adapt | GameDeveloper


💎 Deep Dives 🔎
Gaming, Esports, & Social Trends Report | 2024 | StreamHatchet


✨ Web 3⃣ + Meta 🌐
Deep Dive into Tilt Blockchain | @0xConglomerate (thecoreloop)


Web3 Games Shouldn't Focus on Earning Through Token Farming | @0xDan1el (supervlabs)

Palworld takes over the gaming world | @0xkapital_k (thecoreloop)


👾 Game & Stats Releases 📊
Apple Vision Pro Preorders Begin Friday—What You Need to Know | Decrypt.gg

Palworld has one of the highest concurrent player count ever on Steam | Palworld

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Bye

Look at Gaming #356 | 1.23.2024

GM! I'm stoked to finally share Part 0 of my MapleStory teardown.

When MapleStory announced it was going into Web3, I was excited but not bullish. It was more like a "oh that's cool, something I played in my childhood is running it back."

And then I ended up spending 4️⃣0️⃣0️⃣ hours playing the game. Now, I'm so bullish.

20 years of content. Hard-won experience in balancing game mechanics and economies. A world-renowned IP. A veteran team of builders, designers, and analysts. The studio risking its flagship IP on web3, unlike others.

Betting against this proj.? Can't be me.

This is going to be the first part to a much deeper analysis of the game's mechanics and how it could be enhanced (or even revolutionized) with Web3. Hope you enjoy!

Other headlines that caught my eyes were Crunchyroll releasing new games for its platform and Paris Hilton launching a hotel in Roblox — do kids even know who Paris HIlton is?

That's it for today folks!

Chat soon.


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⚡ Spotlight 🤩
Why I'm so bullish on MapleStory on Web3 | @0xkapital_k (thecoreloop)


🌊 MARKET 📞
Palworld Live-Streaming: A Surprising Success Story | Stream Hatchet

Games industry leaders braced 'for up to two years of pain' | GamesIndustry.biz

Riot lays off 530 staff, Riot Forge shutting down | GamesIndustry.biz

Newzoo: Forecasts and Gaming Trends for 2024 | GameDev Reports

Chip industry could grow 13% in 2024 | Deloitte

China quietly pulls draft gaming rules from website | TechCrunch


💎 Deep Dives 🔎
How this solo-dev 'incremental' game hit 100k+ sales! | GameDiscoverCo


🌈 Platforms 🏠
Crunchyroll announces two exclusive new games for its Game Vault | GamesBeat

Paris Hilton’s 11:11 Media launches Hilton partnership on Roblox | GamesBeat


✨ Web 3⃣ + Meta 🌐
Why I'm so bullish on MapleStory on Web3 | @0xkapital_k (thecoreloop)

Unstoppable Domains and The Sandbox create Unstoppable metaverse experience | GamesBeat

Darewise teams with Honda on Web3 vehicular gameplay | GamesBeat


🧠 Knowledge Hub 📘
6 x Operative Changes That Kept SciPlay Growing Despite the Market Headwinds | Deconstructor of Fun


💲 Fundraising 🤑
Obelisk Studio raises $2m from The Games Fund | GamesIndustry.biz

Paper Ventures launches $25M blockchain VC fund | GamesBeat

Rize.gg wraps up pre-seed round, raises $430,000 to train and empower gamers | PGBiz


👾 Game & Stats Releases 📊
Disney offers an elegant solution to VR’s movement problem | TechCrunch

CD Projekt aiming to begin Witcher 4 production by mid-2024 | GameDeveloper

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Drop a gg

Look at Gaming #357 | 1.24.2024

GM! Today I want to talk about UGC.

When folks mention UGC, they really mean sandbox-y games like Roblox and Minecraft, more specifically about individual user-created "experiences."

For me, I think the real UGC is actually in the asset stores. (think Unity Asset Store, Roblox Creator Store). These are the building blocks for all the user-created experiences. Without a marketplace to purchase models, plugins, meshes, images, fonts, 2D & 3D graphical, audio, and video assets, the UGC creation process would be drastically more challenging.

Roblox recently updated their Creator Store to provide for a much better UGC experience. Safety is the top priority of course and it was reported that 47 million malicious and copied assets were removed from the store in 2022 and implemented a monthly submission limit, reducing spam by 90%.

Imagine that. 47 million things to sort through. Therefore discovery is a integral part of these creator stores and Roblox improved in that aspect as well. Having proper indexing, categorizing, subcategorizing, ratings, reviews and implementing images, links, rich media into the item descriptions are integral features for any store.

Lastly is pricing. Previously, these assets were priced in Robux, now they're in US dollars, while also eliminating DevEx fees. Developer now keep 100% of the proceeds minus tax and payment processing fee.

I believe solving THIS layer of the UGC stack is a precursor to having full-blown UGCfication on any platform. With all the sandbox-y game in web3, you should ask them what their plans are for this. It's effectively the middleware/asset wholesale marketplace.

That's it for today! Catch y'all tomorrow.

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⚡ Spotlight 🤩
Roblox opens new Creator Store to speed game creation | GamesBeat


🌊 MARKET 📞
The Tremendous Yet Troubled State of Gaming in 2024 | MatthewBall.co

An arms race for games industry tax breaks | GamesIndustry.biz


💎 Deep Dives 🔎
Apple’s problematic 7-day app-to-web attribution window | MobileDevMemo

Subscriptions, live service games will slow down in 2024 | Newzoo


🌈 Platforms 🏠
Roblox opens new Creator Store to speed game creation | GamesBeat

Lego Fortnite’s first big update squashes bugs and adds a launch pad | TechCrunch

Nintendo goes after the Palworld Pokémon modder | The Verge


✨ Web 3⃣ + Meta 🌐
Treeverse' Studio Endless Clouds Picks Immutable zkEVM for Its NFT Games | Decrypt.gg

Crypto Casino Rollbit Sponsors FaZe Clan in Multi-Million-Dollar Esports Deal | Decrypt.gg

Immutable’s Web3 Roadmap for 2024 | Naavik


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Drop a gg!

Look at Gaming #358 | 1.25.2024

GM! This one gonna be a bit gloomy so diving right into it.

In the midst of the excitement surrounding Palworld, the game world isn't doing as great. GamesIndustry.biz spoke with public company executives, publishing heads, and big investors. Their comments were alarming. Some forecasting two more years of turmoil.

The TLDR
• Games industry caught in a hard spot cuz of high interest rate (duh, like everyone else).
• But the unique thing is that the games industry expanded aggressively during 2020/2021, greenlit too many games and hired too many personnel now the contraction has to happen
• The compounding of the high interest plus the natural contraction made things worst
• 2023 was year of layoffs, 2024 year of closures
• Game release schedules need to reset to pre-pandemic norm trends cuz too much gamestore saturation right now
• From outsiders perspective and zooming out, things are trending up but industry insiders know the current landscape is tough and rough

I want to remind folks that great companies today were built during period of turbulence and high interest rates. (See Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, Alphabet)

In related news, 35% of developers said they were affected by layoffs reported in a GDC survey.

Sorry for the doom and gloom but just sharing where we are in the industry! Darkest before dawn right? RIGHT?!

Chat soon.

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⚡ Spotlight 🤩
Games industry leaders braced 'for up to two years of pain' | GamesIndustry.biz


🌊 MARKET 📞
Games industry leaders braced 'for up to two years of pain' | GamesIndustry.biz

Not everyone bows to the inevitability of subscription models | GamesIndustry.biz

35% of devs affected by layoffs last year, says GDC survey | GamesIndustry.biz

Larian will keep Baldur's Gate 3 and other games off subscription services | GamesIndustry.biz


💎 Deep Dives 🔎
What Palworld's success tells us about 2024's game biz | GameDiscoverCo

Tips on Ad Monetization & Creative Inspirations | Brutally Honest


🌈 Platforms 🏠
Streamers who rely on Twitch Prime Gaming subs are getting a slight pay cut | The Verge


✨ Web 3⃣ + Meta 🌐
Immutable teams with Axelar for Web3 interoperability with 56 blockchains | GamesBeat


🧠 Knowledge Hub 📘
Difficulty curves: how to get the right balance | GameDeveloper


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Drop a gg!

👋 Web3 Gaming Recap — Jan 18 to Jan 24

🔄 Gaming Updates
• Fusionist — Released ACE Arena (Web-based pixel-style MOBA)
• WorldShards — Moving towards Early Access
• Paragonds DAO — Released 2023 Treasury Report
• Axie Infinity — Launched Homeland Beta
• Mahjong Meta — Token System Update
• Rumble Racing Star — Launched mobile release & $RRS Point Program (Exchangable for $DELABS in the future)
• Blast Royale — Q1 2024 Dev UpdateDevelopment
• DeLabs — Playtest for Pass Holders
• Pixelmon — Launched MON Protocol, future of IP Governance
• Nifty Island — Launched Open Beta (Ongoing Points Program)
• Engines of Fury — Token in 2024
• Moonfrost — Dev Update & LiveStream (Jan 25)
• Bladerite — Live on mobile & PC
• MixMob — Snapshot soon prior to TGE
• Mavia — Global mobile launch on Jan 31
• BLOCKLORDS — Released info on upcoming GameDrop
• Footium — Transtitioning to Arbitrum
• Endless Couds — Partnering up with IMX

🔖 Gaming Reads
• AI Arena — $NRN P2A event details
• Matthew Ball — The Tremendous yet Troubled State of Gaming in 2024
• Daniel (Supervillian Labs) — Web3 Games Shouldn't Focus on Earning Through Token Farming
• Conglomerate (TheCoreLoop) — Deep Dive into Tilt Blockchain
• Jonathan Huang (Bitkraft) — Reflections on game design, target market & VC-funding for games based on Palworld's Success
• Aiko (Folius Ventures) — How a small team managed to create a blockbuster game in Palworld
• Jihoz (Axie Infinity) — Learnings from Pixels Online
• RealJonahBlake (RealThirdWeb) — Why Palworld is popular & what Web3 can learn from it (marketing-wise)
• Sparkc (Wolves DAO) — How Web3 Games can learn from Palworld's Success
• JACL (Delphi) — How Palworld gained attention but not thru game design
• TIN (Sipher) — What we can learn from Palworld
• Karel Vuong (TreasureDAO) — Builders Dilemma

▶️ Gaming Watch/Listens
• Smolverse for Beginners
• Gamecraft — State of Play: 2024

💸 Gaming Fundraising
• Beacon — Secured Arbitrum Grant

hope helpful wuwu 😆💞 — https://t.me/thecoreloopweb3

🔔 Weekly Gaming Digest 👀

In The Loop w/ kapital_k (Week 0️⃣4️⃣ of 2024)

Here are the top five headlines and fundraising announcements plus a collection of content from independent creators that you missed this week!

———

TOP 5 HEADLINES 📣

📌 Roblox Opens New Creator Store

📌 Fortnite LEGO Big Update

📌 Two Years of Pain For Games

📌 CrunchyRoll Launches 2 Exclusive Games

📌 Deloitte Says Chip Industry +13% 2024

———

thecoreloop FEATURED PICKS 💖:

🗣 Blogs
• @0xkapital_k (thecoreloop) // Why I'm So Bullish MapleStory Web3 — link

➡Pods
• MobileDevMemo // Optimizing Ad Spend Against LTV — link


💲 Raises
• $27.4M raised this week. A new $25M web3 fund accounted for most of it.

———

Check out our Substack for the full newsletter!

Look at Gaming #359 | 1.29.2024

GM! Welcome the last week in January — can't believe 2024 is just speeding by.

Apple is going to be comply to the EU laws, while still raking in the dough. But first some details.

From iOS 17.4 onward, iPhone users could download new app stores. Now this first application would be subjected to Apple's thorough inspection but any other apps the user downloads from this new app store onward is "buyer beware" situation.

There are requirements though that every app needs to maintain the same version across all app stores. Outside of this version control, the apps on these new app stores do not have to abide by the existing App Store Guidelines.

The money:
• 17% commission is still paid to Apple just to exist on Apple —> This falls to 10% if the dev qualifies for a small business rate
• 3% payment processing fee (if they choose to go with Apple's payment processing)
• 0.50 Euro per annual app install once an app passes 1 million installs (if the use reinstalls, that's 0.50 Euro again)

Apple didn't become the most highly-valued company in the world by letting the world push it around. These countermeasures were crafted the moment Apple got into these legal entanglements.

There's a ton of content today so please take a look through the headlines!

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⚡ Spotlight 🤩
Apple's Core Technology Fee explained - Who'll be paying what (and is this even legal?) | PGBiz


🌊 MARKET 📞
Between the Lines: Eastern Europe’s Gaming Market | Naavik

2024 is already halfway to matching 2023’s layoff numbers | GamesBeat

Krafton’s 2024 expansion plan includes AI, India and 20 games | GamesBeat

Apple to the EU: Catch me if you can | PGBiz

Microsoft Cuts 1,900 Xbox and Activision Staff Amid Gaming Industry Crisis | Decrypt.gg

The Pokémon Company will "investigate" IP infringement after questions raised around Palworld | PGBiz

Intel posts Q4 revenue of $15.4B, up 10% but Q1 expectations weak | GamesBeat

Epic Games CEO blasts Apple for ‘malicious compliance’ with EU Digital Markets Act | GamesBeat


💎 Deep Dives 🔎
Ampere Analysis: Epic Games became the leader in MAU on consoles in December | GameDev Reports

Betting on Yourself | Konvoy Venture

Plus: why data can't predict success for PC/console games | GameDiscoverCo

Apple's Core Technology Fee explained - Who'll be paying what (and is this even legal?) | PGBiz

Apple to Developers: Heads I win, tails you lose (part 3) | MobileDevMemo

The Profitability Race is on! | Games and Game Industry

Palworld, the equal-opportunity offender | SuperJoost Playlist

The myth of overnight success | Game Stuff

Take Your Mobile Marketing to the Next Level With Liftoff’s 2023 Reports and Guides | GameRefinery


🌈 Platforms 🏠
It's not just App Stores… Apple make big changes for cloud gaming and webkit too | PGBiz

Xbox announces Indie Selects program | GamesIndustry.biz


🧠 Knowledge Hub 📘
The complete collection of GamesIndustry.biz's Get into Games guides | GamesIndustry.biz


💲 Fundraising 🤑
True Gamers secures $45m investment for esports expansion in Saudi Arabia | PGBiz

AOFverse raises $3 million to propel Web3 gaming vision | PGBiz


👾 Game & Stats Releases 📊
Palworld' Roadmap Revealed—Huge Upgrades Are Coming | Decrypt.gg

Switch 2: all the news and rumors on Nintendo’s next console | The Verge

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Drop a gg!