In The Loop w/ Kapital_K (Week 3️⃣6️⃣ of 2023)
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
———
thecoreloop FEATURED PICKS 💖:
• DavidKaye // Thread on Browser Games — link
• SuperJoost Playlist // Barbarians At The Game — link
• Deconstructor of Fun // Nintendo - Past, Present, Future — link
• $54M in Funding from Story Protocol. Big round led by a16z Crypto with folks from hashed, Samsung Next, and Alliance DAO.
———
Check out our Substack for the full newsletter!
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thecoreloop’s Substack
IN THE LOOP with kapital k // W36 of 2023
The only gaming newsletter you need. I curate and aggregate content from across web2 & web3 to deliver it straight to your inbox.
GM GM!
Thecoreloop will be out and about at Token2049 this week so will be slow to post!
Your regular programming will resume next week.
Hit any of the thecoreloop contributors up if you’re in town too!
Yours truly, kapitak_k
👍
Thecoreloop will be out and about at Token2049 this week so will be slow to post!
Your regular programming will resume next week.
Hit any of the thecoreloop contributors up if you’re in town too!
Yours truly, kapitak_k
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Look at Gaming #291 | Monday September 18th 2023
GM! It's Monday.
Your boy is back and at it! Thank you for patiently waiting. Today I got a lotttt of news for you.
First headline is Unity rolling back its pricing policy and imposing a 4% cap on its fees. I feel like Unity has made two moves this year that received a lot of backlash from its community.
The PC & Console market for 2022 amounted to $92.3B (2% lower than 2021). Browser PC Games was only $2.3B (this figure is important as a lot of web3 games right now are browser PC games but there's an emergence of "Progressive Web Apps").
Be sure to check out GameDiscoverCo's dive into Fortnite Creative 2.0. As almost every game is turning into a "platform", you should read up on this to better understand the economics.
Lastly, Xsolla is introducing a new purchasing platform called Mall. Game studios can launch their own landing pages and etc to offer deals directly to their players.
That's it for this Monday. Welcome back to thecoreloop. I've missed you.
———
⚡ Spotlight 🤩
A 4% cap and self-reported data: Inside the rollback of the Unity Runtime Fee | PGBiz
🌊 MARKET 📞
Newzoo: PC and Console Market in 2023 | GameDev Reports
Introducing CrazyLabs' New Ad Report & How It Can Improve Your Game’s Performance | PGBiz
What is the Biggest Esports Story of September? | The Fudge Report
💎 Deep Dives 🔎
Fortnite Creative 2.0: battle stories from shipping UGC! | GameDiscoverCo
The Invisible Time Bombs | Games & Game Industry
🌈 Platforms 🏠
Report: Nintendo tells Activision Blizzard next console will match PS4, Xbox One performance | GameDeveloper
A 4% cap and self-reported data: Inside the rollback of the Unity Runtime Fee | PGBiz
Microsoft targeted next Xbox for 2028, court docs show | Axios
Xsolla launches Mall, a new alternative purchase platform | PGBiz
✨ Web 3⃣ + Meta 🌐
PUBG Creator Krafton Unveils 'Overdare' NFT Game With AI Creation Tools | Decrypt.gg
🧠 Knowledge Hub 📘
11 tips for killer User Acquisition ops (Q3 version) | Brutally Honest
Brutally Honest #78 | Brutally Honest
A brief guide to Unity alternatives, from Unreal to Godot and beyond | MobileGamer.Biz
💲 Fundraising 🤑
Pahdo Labs Raises $15M to Let Players Make Anime Games With AI Tools | Decrypt.gg
———
Drop a gg! Token2049 and KBW were amazing for the gaming space. Tons of activity and energy. I met with many friends irl made new ones.
Most exciting news to me was MapleStory Universe is soon™️.
GM! It's Monday.
Your boy is back and at it! Thank you for patiently waiting. Today I got a lotttt of news for you.
First headline is Unity rolling back its pricing policy and imposing a 4% cap on its fees. I feel like Unity has made two moves this year that received a lot of backlash from its community.
The PC & Console market for 2022 amounted to $92.3B (2% lower than 2021). Browser PC Games was only $2.3B (this figure is important as a lot of web3 games right now are browser PC games but there's an emergence of "Progressive Web Apps").
Be sure to check out GameDiscoverCo's dive into Fortnite Creative 2.0. As almost every game is turning into a "platform", you should read up on this to better understand the economics.
Lastly, Xsolla is introducing a new purchasing platform called Mall. Game studios can launch their own landing pages and etc to offer deals directly to their players.
That's it for this Monday. Welcome back to thecoreloop. I've missed you.
———
A 4% cap and self-reported data: Inside the rollback of the Unity Runtime Fee | PGBiz
Newzoo: PC and Console Market in 2023 | GameDev Reports
Introducing CrazyLabs' New Ad Report & How It Can Improve Your Game’s Performance | PGBiz
What is the Biggest Esports Story of September? | The Fudge Report
Fortnite Creative 2.0: battle stories from shipping UGC! | GameDiscoverCo
The Invisible Time Bombs | Games & Game Industry
Report: Nintendo tells Activision Blizzard next console will match PS4, Xbox One performance | GameDeveloper
A 4% cap and self-reported data: Inside the rollback of the Unity Runtime Fee | PGBiz
Microsoft targeted next Xbox for 2028, court docs show | Axios
Xsolla launches Mall, a new alternative purchase platform | PGBiz
PUBG Creator Krafton Unveils 'Overdare' NFT Game With AI Creation Tools | Decrypt.gg
11 tips for killer User Acquisition ops (Q3 version) | Brutally Honest
Brutally Honest #78 | Brutally Honest
A brief guide to Unity alternatives, from Unreal to Godot and beyond | MobileGamer.Biz
Pahdo Labs Raises $15M to Let Players Make Anime Games With AI Tools | Decrypt.gg
———
Drop a gg! Token2049 and KBW were amazing for the gaming space. Tons of activity and energy. I met with many friends irl made new ones.
Most exciting news to me was MapleStory Universe is soon™️.
Please open Telegram to view this post
VIEW IN TELEGRAM
PocketGamer.biz
A 4% cap and self-reported data: Inside the rollback of the Unity Runtime Fee
Unity sent shockwaves through the industry with the introduction of its controversial new pricing scheme, the Unity Runtime Fee, last week. Under the terms
🔥7❤4🙏3
In The Loop w/ Kapital_K (Week 3️⃣7️⃣ of 2023)
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
———
thecoreloop FEATURED PICKS 💖:
• Wasn't on Twitter much this week so apologies for missing the threads. Please comment if you want me to include your threads!
• Konvoy Ventures // A Fast Growing Market of High Spenders (TL;DR it's Cosplay!) — link
• Deconstructor of Fun // Navigating Gaming Market: Trends, Triumph & Troubles — link
• $101.8M in Funding last week but only $46.6M in actual game studios/infra funding with $20M to Animoca's Mocaverse, $7.9M to Series AI, $8M to GamePhilos' NFT Dinosaur Game. The other large check was $49M to a media company called Nazara. There's also rumors of Carlyle Group selling Jagex at $1B valuation. Spicy.
———
Check out our Substack for the full newsletter!
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thecoreloop’s Substack
IN THE LOOP with kapital k // W37 of 2023
The only gaming newsletter you need. I curate and aggregate content from across web2 & web3 to deliver it straight to your inbox.
❤4🔥3👀2
Look at Gaming #292 | Tuesday September 19th 2023
GM! It's Tuesday.
Not a lot of news this time around but we do have some juicy leaks.
Some documents were found in a deposition that indicated that Xbox had plans to acquire Nintendo and WarnerBros Interactive. This was back in 2020 when Microsoft was in the midst of its ZeniMax acquisition. The surprising element isn't that these companies were on the list but that Nintendo was actually receptive to the notion of being bought.
Along with other leaked info, we saw Microsoft's plans for its Xbox console lifecycle. We expect to see a new console in 2028 with a mid-gen refresher console in 2024. Obviously, these documents are 2-3 years old so the plan could've definitely changed.
Another headline that caught my eye was that Major League Baseball is hosting a live game in a virtual stadium, effectively a live re-creation of a live game. It will use Improbable's web-based experience. It won't just be a streamed recording; instead, it'll look like a game with all the immersive elements.
This is important because the overlap between sports fans and video game players is high. These are the same gamers that buy the new 2K, Madden, or FIFA (maybe not anymore RIP) every single year. Super high LTV with super high retentions and practically zero CAC (except for the Franchise fees) since they come voluntarily.
That's it for today! Catch you guys tomorrow.
————
⚡ Spotlight 🤩
Phil Spencer Addresses Massive Xbox Leak In New Statement | GameInformer
💎 Deep Dives 🔎
From Unity to Godot in a Weekend | GameDeveloper
🌈 Platforms 🏠
Phil Spencer Addresses Massive Xbox Leak In New Statement | GameInformer
Roblox is rolling out in-experience subscriptions, but you can’t buy them yet | The Verge
✨ Web 3⃣ + Meta 🌐
Major League Baseball Is Hosting Its First Live Game in a Virtual Stadium | Decrypt.gg
8 web3 gaming experts discuss hurdles and opportunities in the road to wider adoption | TechCrunch
🧠 Knowledge Hub 📘
Driving ROI with Data Analysis – Part 1 | Naavik
———
Drop a gg!
GM! It's Tuesday.
Not a lot of news this time around but we do have some juicy leaks.
Some documents were found in a deposition that indicated that Xbox had plans to acquire Nintendo and WarnerBros Interactive. This was back in 2020 when Microsoft was in the midst of its ZeniMax acquisition. The surprising element isn't that these companies were on the list but that Nintendo was actually receptive to the notion of being bought.
Along with other leaked info, we saw Microsoft's plans for its Xbox console lifecycle. We expect to see a new console in 2028 with a mid-gen refresher console in 2024. Obviously, these documents are 2-3 years old so the plan could've definitely changed.
Another headline that caught my eye was that Major League Baseball is hosting a live game in a virtual stadium, effectively a live re-creation of a live game. It will use Improbable's web-based experience. It won't just be a streamed recording; instead, it'll look like a game with all the immersive elements.
This is important because the overlap between sports fans and video game players is high. These are the same gamers that buy the new 2K, Madden, or FIFA (maybe not anymore RIP) every single year. Super high LTV with super high retentions and practically zero CAC (except for the Franchise fees) since they come voluntarily.
That's it for today! Catch you guys tomorrow.
————
Phil Spencer Addresses Massive Xbox Leak In New Statement | GameInformer
From Unity to Godot in a Weekend | GameDeveloper
Phil Spencer Addresses Massive Xbox Leak In New Statement | GameInformer
Roblox is rolling out in-experience subscriptions, but you can’t buy them yet | The Verge
Major League Baseball Is Hosting Its First Live Game in a Virtual Stadium | Decrypt.gg
8 web3 gaming experts discuss hurdles and opportunities in the road to wider adoption | TechCrunch
Driving ROI with Data Analysis – Part 1 | Naavik
———
Drop a gg!
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Game Informer
Phil Spencer Addresses Massive Xbox Leak In New Statement
He notes the leaked documents and emails are old and that plans have changed.
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Look at Gaming #293 | Wednesday September 20th 2023
GM! It's Wednesday.
More juicy leaks from Microsoft! If you recall earlier this year during the FTC trial, we found out that it costs in the $150-$250M to produce AAA games like Horizon Forbidden West.
Well now we know the costs to build varying caliber of games, not just the top-tiered ones:
• Dragon Ball: The Breakers: $20M
• Red Dead Redemption 2: $5M / month
• Gotham Knights: $50 million
• Mortal Kombat 1: $250 million
• Grand Theft Auto 5: $12-15M / month
In other news, I think the recent Roblox policy around its cosmetics economic dynamics is worthy of discussion. If you created a skin for a sword, but the player purchased that skin in a different third party experience, what is a fair revenue share? In Roblox's case, the creator gets 20%, the 3rd party experience developer gets 30% and Roblox keeps 50%.
Let me know what you think is fair in the comments.
Help me share this by RTing on the bird app! Here!
———
⚡ Spotlight 🤩
Leak: Microsoft's estimated expenditures on acquiring games for Xbox Game Pass | GameDev Reports
🌊 MARKET 📞
Non-Gaming Reaches Highest Ever Hours Watched On Stream | Stream Hatchet
💎 Deep Dives 🔎
Worst games industry decision of 2023 | Unboxing Podcast
Leak: Microsoft's estimated expenditures on acquiring games for Xbox Game Pass | GameDev Reports
🌈 Platforms 🏠
Apple to allow mobile developers region-specific pre-orders of their games | GamesIndustry.biz
FTC permits Fortnite players to get refunds for in-game purchases | GameDeveloper
Roblox pauses rollout of a controversial new user generated content policy | PGBiz
A closer look at T-Minus Zero Entertainment, NetEase's latest foray into the West | GamesIndustry.biz
✨ Web 3⃣ + Meta 🌐
Hashflow Turned DeFi Trading Into a Sci-Fi Game—With an AI Dictator | Decrypt.gg
Mythical Games will bring Blankos Block Party to Web3 mobile players | GamesBeat
🧠 Knowledge Hub 📘
Introducing: new eBooks & major forecasting features! | GameDiscoverCo
💲 Fundraising 🤑
Spectarium raises €5m in seed funding round | GamesIndustry.biz
Eloelo raises $22M in funding to expand entertainment app | GamesBeat
———
Drop a gg!
GM! It's Wednesday.
More juicy leaks from Microsoft! If you recall earlier this year during the FTC trial, we found out that it costs in the $150-$250M to produce AAA games like Horizon Forbidden West.
Well now we know the costs to build varying caliber of games, not just the top-tiered ones:
• Dragon Ball: The Breakers: $20M
• Red Dead Redemption 2: $5M / month
• Gotham Knights: $50 million
• Mortal Kombat 1: $250 million
• Grand Theft Auto 5: $12-15M / month
In other news, I think the recent Roblox policy around its cosmetics economic dynamics is worthy of discussion. If you created a skin for a sword, but the player purchased that skin in a different third party experience, what is a fair revenue share? In Roblox's case, the creator gets 20%, the 3rd party experience developer gets 30% and Roblox keeps 50%.
Let me know what you think is fair in the comments.
Help me share this by RTing on the bird app! Here!
———
Leak: Microsoft's estimated expenditures on acquiring games for Xbox Game Pass | GameDev Reports
Non-Gaming Reaches Highest Ever Hours Watched On Stream | Stream Hatchet
Worst games industry decision of 2023 | Unboxing Podcast
Leak: Microsoft's estimated expenditures on acquiring games for Xbox Game Pass | GameDev Reports
Apple to allow mobile developers region-specific pre-orders of their games | GamesIndustry.biz
FTC permits Fortnite players to get refunds for in-game purchases | GameDeveloper
Roblox pauses rollout of a controversial new user generated content policy | PGBiz
A closer look at T-Minus Zero Entertainment, NetEase's latest foray into the West | GamesIndustry.biz
Hashflow Turned DeFi Trading Into a Sci-Fi Game—With an AI Dictator | Decrypt.gg
Mythical Games will bring Blankos Block Party to Web3 mobile players | GamesBeat
Introducing: new eBooks & major forecasting features! | GameDiscoverCo
Spectarium raises €5m in seed funding round | GamesIndustry.biz
Eloelo raises $22M in funding to expand entertainment app | GamesBeat
———
Drop a gg!
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kiet on X
Look at Gaming #293 | Wednesday September 20th 2023
Get your daily news directly from our tg channel: https://t.co/tif4nnp1QS
————
GM! It's Wednesday.
More juicy leaks from Microsoft! If you recall earlier this year during the FTC trial, we found…
Get your daily news directly from our tg channel: https://t.co/tif4nnp1QS
————
GM! It's Wednesday.
More juicy leaks from Microsoft! If you recall earlier this year during the FTC trial, we found…
TCL Poll #1: Unity Fees Sentiment Poll
With the recent fiasco on Unity revising their fee structure,
Are any of your companies, portcos, industry friends considering switching to other types of development engines? Add your thoughts and comments below!
With the recent fiasco on Unity revising their fee structure,
Are any of your companies, portcos, industry friends considering switching to other types of development engines? Add your thoughts and comments below!
Anonymous Poll
13%
Stay on Unity: we don't care
26%
Stay on Unity: we're trapped/sunk cost
4%
We'll ship but we'll jump on the next game
13%
GTFO: Jumping Ship to Unreal
9%
GTFO: Jumping ship to Godot
4%
GTFO: Others
30%
We're still thinking about it
Look at Gaming #294 | Thursday September 21st 2023
GM! It's Thursday.
As if there were any doubts, the UK preliminarily approves the Microsoft-Activision deal. But the best things that came out of these trials are the leaks! We got to see the inner working dynamics of the Microsoft-Xbox relationship. TL;DR: Xbox is just any other division of a large company, it has to manage the expectations of the company's executives while outmaneuvering its competitors.
Another area that I found interesting is the Indian gaming market. Per Niko Partners' recent report, it is THE fastest growing Asian market, especially with its expecting to hit $868M with 444M gamers. For context, China has 650M-ish gamers. And nearly 97% plays on mobile. One out of every three gamers will spend on video games, resulting in a $6.38 ARPPU
Also Proof of Play raised $33M from a16z. BAM! Who said fundraising is ded.
That's it for today folks.
———
⚡ Spotlight 🤩
UK preliminarily approves Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard | GamesIndustry.biz
🌊 MARKET 📞
Indian gaming market set to generate $868 million in revenue in 2023 | PGBiz
UK preliminarily approves Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard | GamesIndustry.biz
The current state of games investment | GamesIndustry.biz
💎 Deep Dives 🔎
#225: After the unboxing | Hit Points
India Games Market Report | Niko Partners
Deep dive on Xbox leak | SuperJoost Playlist
🌈 Platforms 🏠
Embracer says it spends more money on platforms than game development | GameDeveloper
✨ Web 3⃣ + Meta 🌐
South Korean Mobile Developer NHN Is Building Crypto Games on Sui | Decrypt.gg
🧠 Knowledge Hub 📘
Design lessons from the procedural puzzle pieces of Remnant II | GameDeveloper
💲 Fundraising 🤑
Wicked Saints Studios raises $3.5m for blended-reality game | GamesIndustry.biz
Pirate Nation' Studio Raises $33 Million to Build Fully On-Chain Games | Decrypt.gg
———
Drop a gg!
GM! It's Thursday.
As if there were any doubts, the UK preliminarily approves the Microsoft-Activision deal. But the best things that came out of these trials are the leaks! We got to see the inner working dynamics of the Microsoft-Xbox relationship. TL;DR: Xbox is just any other division of a large company, it has to manage the expectations of the company's executives while outmaneuvering its competitors.
Another area that I found interesting is the Indian gaming market. Per Niko Partners' recent report, it is THE fastest growing Asian market, especially with its expecting to hit $868M with 444M gamers. For context, China has 650M-ish gamers. And nearly 97% plays on mobile. One out of every three gamers will spend on video games, resulting in a $6.38 ARPPU
Also Proof of Play raised $33M from a16z. BAM! Who said fundraising is ded.
That's it for today folks.
———
UK preliminarily approves Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard | GamesIndustry.biz
Indian gaming market set to generate $868 million in revenue in 2023 | PGBiz
UK preliminarily approves Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard | GamesIndustry.biz
The current state of games investment | GamesIndustry.biz
#225: After the unboxing | Hit Points
India Games Market Report | Niko Partners
Deep dive on Xbox leak | SuperJoost Playlist
Embracer says it spends more money on platforms than game development | GameDeveloper
South Korean Mobile Developer NHN Is Building Crypto Games on Sui | Decrypt.gg
Design lessons from the procedural puzzle pieces of Remnant II | GameDeveloper
Wicked Saints Studios raises $3.5m for blended-reality game | GamesIndustry.biz
Pirate Nation' Studio Raises $33 Million to Build Fully On-Chain Games | Decrypt.gg
———
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GamesIndustry.biz
UK preliminarily approves Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard
Sign up for the GI Daily here to get the biggest news straight to your inbox
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Look at Gaming #295 | Friday September 22nd 2023
GM! It's Friday.
Short one today! But we are heading to Milan.
The global fashion powerhouse, Gucci, debuted its fashion show on Roblox, Zepeto (South Korea), and QQ (China). Gucci Town on Roblox is a permanent experience that Gucci had created back in 2022 but the Gucci-Roblox relationship started in 2021 with the digital release of the Dionysus Bag.
This bag was originally sold for 475 Robux ($6) but it traded as high as $4.1k in secondaries which was 20% higher than the IRL bag.
With Zepeto, there was just a livestream of the runway show but viewers could purchase items for their avatars from the virtual Gucci store.
Earlier this week we saw the Major League Baseball recreating the live show with Improbable. Clearly consumer brands are more than just experimenting with digital experiences. Though these are still relegated as second-screen events, not the primary ones.
Have a wonderful weekend everyone!
———
⚡ Spotlight 🤩
Gucci's Milan Fashion Week Show Debuts on Roblox and Zepeto | Decrypt.gg
💎 Deep Dives 🔎
Bandai Namco: "Every publisher has to focus more on their own expertise" | GamesIndustry.biz
Virtual Characters and Live Streaming | Konvoy Ventures
Plus: how did those big Steam debuts do? | GameDiscoverCo
My Perfect Hotel – Idle Arcade Hybrid casual | Brutally Honest
🌈 Platforms 🏠
Unity kills Runtime Fee for Personal users, offers rev share for others | GamesIndustry.biz
Gucci's Milan Fashion Week Show Debuts on Roblox and Zepeto | Decrypt.gg
———
Drop a gg!
GM! It's Friday.
Short one today! But we are heading to Milan.
The global fashion powerhouse, Gucci, debuted its fashion show on Roblox, Zepeto (South Korea), and QQ (China). Gucci Town on Roblox is a permanent experience that Gucci had created back in 2022 but the Gucci-Roblox relationship started in 2021 with the digital release of the Dionysus Bag.
This bag was originally sold for 475 Robux ($6) but it traded as high as $4.1k in secondaries which was 20% higher than the IRL bag.
With Zepeto, there was just a livestream of the runway show but viewers could purchase items for their avatars from the virtual Gucci store.
Earlier this week we saw the Major League Baseball recreating the live show with Improbable. Clearly consumer brands are more than just experimenting with digital experiences. Though these are still relegated as second-screen events, not the primary ones.
Have a wonderful weekend everyone!
———
Gucci's Milan Fashion Week Show Debuts on Roblox and Zepeto | Decrypt.gg
Bandai Namco: "Every publisher has to focus more on their own expertise" | GamesIndustry.biz
Virtual Characters and Live Streaming | Konvoy Ventures
Plus: how did those big Steam debuts do? | GameDiscoverCo
My Perfect Hotel – Idle Arcade Hybrid casual | Brutally Honest
Unity kills Runtime Fee for Personal users, offers rev share for others | GamesIndustry.biz
Gucci's Milan Fashion Week Show Debuts on Roblox and Zepeto | Decrypt.gg
———
Drop a gg!
Please open Telegram to view this post
VIEW IN TELEGRAM
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iandao's fireside takes #1:
Payday 3, Yay or Nay
I've always enjoyed the grimy, crime-punk aesthetic of Payday since the original release of Payday 1.
The Payday series is a cooperative "heist" stealth shooter, which players can work together to rob or burglar banks, vaults, museums and other guarded facilities for mysterious crime organisations.
The franchise has come a long way since then, with its fair share of drama. Payday 2 was critically acclaimed, adding polish and continuing to build up the Payday gritty Crime Experience, that is not afraid to explore grittier themes such as dirty politicians, greedy bankers, smuggling and drug crime.
Payday 3 seems to have stalled in this regard, releasing to a fanfare of outrage from many long-term fans, citing terrible progression features and having way less gameplay, features and content than it's predecessor Payday 2, as well as "Always Online" single player and matchmaking issues.
It is important for all game studios to constantly test, understand and communicate with their users to know and deliver experiences in line with user expectations. With PC gaming 20% of global gaming spend, it is clear that PC gamers aren't afraid to spend, but are strongly a much more discerning audience with purchases of packaged experiences
Starbreeze studios altered Payday's progression formula, locking new weapons and gameplay behind achievement milestones, using design principles similar to older era of console gaming and games like Call of Duty.
This ticked off their core player base who "just wanted to rob banks with their friends" and were not thrilled to see gameplay choices narrowed down by "grinding", on top of a $40USD asking price
Reviews mostly lauded Payday3 for its consistently interesting level design, while lambasted it for middling shooting and progression gameplay.
Starbreeze Studios have experimented multiple times to find good ways to keep their users entertained and monetise, with frequent DLC that includes new characters, level arcs and/or weapon packs and skins into PayDay 2.
They previously rescinded an attempt to add paid lootboxes into PayDay2 after users rioted across reviews, forums and games media, followed by tanking metrics.
I will still buy this for the coop heisting, full on all hell breaks loose when somebody fucks up experience, but only after the developers fix the progression, network and other gameplay issues
Clearly, the Payday franchise has a winning formula and IP, and players are/were looking forward to it; to be honest, i think players would be happy with a graphical and gameplay fidelity upgrade with more meta-game layers, rather than a full revamp of progression systems.
Kudos to the level designers though, they are still killing it :)
The hideout system in PD2 was simple but allowed player customisation and progression flexing. Starbreeze can think about combining the existing systems of hideout + mission upgrades such as extra getaway vehicles or security camera hacks etc with hideout upgrades enabling access to such systems
Image Link : https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/184666873072189441/1155089615259185253/image.png?width=1410&height=1076
Payday 3, Yay or Nay
I've always enjoyed the grimy, crime-punk aesthetic of Payday since the original release of Payday 1.
The Payday series is a cooperative "heist" stealth shooter, which players can work together to rob or burglar banks, vaults, museums and other guarded facilities for mysterious crime organisations.
The franchise has come a long way since then, with its fair share of drama. Payday 2 was critically acclaimed, adding polish and continuing to build up the Payday gritty Crime Experience, that is not afraid to explore grittier themes such as dirty politicians, greedy bankers, smuggling and drug crime.
Payday 3 seems to have stalled in this regard, releasing to a fanfare of outrage from many long-term fans, citing terrible progression features and having way less gameplay, features and content than it's predecessor Payday 2, as well as "Always Online" single player and matchmaking issues.
This ticked off their core player base who "just wanted to rob banks with their friends" and were not thrilled to see gameplay choices narrowed down by "grinding", on top of a $40USD asking price
Reviews mostly lauded Payday3 for its consistently interesting level design, while lambasted it for middling shooting and progression gameplay.
Starbreeze Studios have experimented multiple times to find good ways to keep their users entertained and monetise, with frequent DLC that includes new characters, level arcs and/or weapon packs and skins into PayDay 2.
They previously rescinded an attempt to add paid lootboxes into PayDay2 after users rioted across reviews, forums and games media, followed by tanking metrics.
I will still buy this for the coop heisting, full on all hell breaks loose when somebody fucks up experience, but only after the developers fix the progression, network and other gameplay issues
Clearly, the Payday franchise has a winning formula and IP, and players are/were looking forward to it; to be honest, i think players would be happy with a graphical and gameplay fidelity upgrade with more meta-game layers, rather than a full revamp of progression systems.
Kudos to the level designers though, they are still killing it :)
❤3👍1
Look at Gaming #296 | Monday September 25th 2023
GM! It's Monday.
Hope everyone have a wonderful weekend. Wanted to kick this week off with an interesting move by Nintendo.
The Japanese game maker said it would NOT release any DLC for its latest hit: Zelda: TotK. This is definitely abnormal.
For example, the Mario Kart 8 was released in 2014 with 32 courses with an optional DLC for an additional 16 courses. Then in 2017 Nintendo re-released the game as Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, which includes the original 32 and the additional 16 courses all in one.
Surprisingly, Mario Kart 8 received its second DLC pack EIGHT YEARS later in 2022!
For Zelda: BotW, the game released in 2017 with two DLC packs released in the same year, but no additional DLC thereafter. Though, it was known that Zelda: TotK's development was set to begin immediately after BotW's release. Maybe that's why they didn't have anymore DLCs.
Regardless, the admission that there won't be any DLCs for this Zelda is an odd move.
Do you guys think that if consumers knew that the game is fully complete as-is without any further DLC needed, it would sell more?
———
⚡ Spotlight 🤩
Why Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom’s absence of DLC bucks AAA trends | GameDeveloper
🌊 MARKET 📞
India’s Blue Gaming Ocean | Naavik
Monster Hunter Now Explodes Worldwide but Especially in JP, India To Hit Hypergrowth! | GameMakers
💎 Deep Dives 🔎
How Manga Productions is bringing manga, anime and games to the Middle East | GamesBeat
🌈 Platforms 🏠
Why Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom’s absence of DLC bucks AAA trends | GameDeveloper
💲 Fundraising 🤑
Creative UK to support devs and other creators with new £35M investment fund | GameDeveloper
👾 Game & Stats Releases 📊
Eve Online gets an FPS module, expansions and mobile game | GamesBeat
———
Drop a gg!
GM! It's Monday.
Hope everyone have a wonderful weekend. Wanted to kick this week off with an interesting move by Nintendo.
The Japanese game maker said it would NOT release any DLC for its latest hit: Zelda: TotK. This is definitely abnormal.
For example, the Mario Kart 8 was released in 2014 with 32 courses with an optional DLC for an additional 16 courses. Then in 2017 Nintendo re-released the game as Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, which includes the original 32 and the additional 16 courses all in one.
Surprisingly, Mario Kart 8 received its second DLC pack EIGHT YEARS later in 2022!
For Zelda: BotW, the game released in 2017 with two DLC packs released in the same year, but no additional DLC thereafter. Though, it was known that Zelda: TotK's development was set to begin immediately after BotW's release. Maybe that's why they didn't have anymore DLCs.
Regardless, the admission that there won't be any DLCs for this Zelda is an odd move.
Do you guys think that if consumers knew that the game is fully complete as-is without any further DLC needed, it would sell more?
———
Why Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom’s absence of DLC bucks AAA trends | GameDeveloper
India’s Blue Gaming Ocean | Naavik
Monster Hunter Now Explodes Worldwide but Especially in JP, India To Hit Hypergrowth! | GameMakers
How Manga Productions is bringing manga, anime and games to the Middle East | GamesBeat
Why Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom’s absence of DLC bucks AAA trends | GameDeveloper
Creative UK to support devs and other creators with new £35M investment fund | GameDeveloper
Eve Online gets an FPS module, expansions and mobile game | GamesBeat
———
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Game Developer
Why Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom’s absence of DLC bucks AAA trends
Eiji Aonuma recently revealed that Nintendo currently has no plans to release additional content for The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. This decision marks a notable departure for both a blockbuster game and a major first-party Nintendo release.
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Look at Gaming #297 | Tuesday September 26th 2023
GM! It's Tuesday.
News and numbers around India has been flooding the TL. It started with Niko Partner's report on Indian markets worth nearly $900M. Earlier this year India allowed PUBG to reenter its market.
Today, I want to highlight the unique distribution dynamics in India. There are multiple number of alternative app stores such as Indus Appstore, Indus App Bazaar, mSeva, AndroBranch, and many more. Without a dominant leader such as Tencent or NetEase, the Indian market is comprised of fragmented developers all vying for users.
But using superapps are the norm in the India. These superapps could be classified as pseudo app stores too.
Why this is important? 96% of all Indian gamers play on mobile — practically all of the 450M indian gamers.
Also quick callout on our friends over at MobileDevMemo! Eric dropped another hot piece on Amazon Prime Video's new ad network. Ads are becoming a more dominant source of revenue for Amazon. So this move doesn't come as a surprise. The good news is that game developers have another avenue to distrbute their games. FYI there are 200M Amazon Prime subscribers globally and 202M TV units were sold worldwide in 2022. Not saying every TV will have Amazon Prime Video apps AND Amazon Prime subscriptions, so apply your own discounting.
That's it y'all! Have a wonderful day :)
———
⚡ Spotlight 🤩
India gets another alternative app store with PhonePe’s Indus Appstore | PGBiz
🌊 MARKET 📞
Sensor Tower: Simulation Mobile Games Market in 2023 | GameDev Reports
India gets another alternative app store with PhonePe’s Indus Appstore | PGBiz
💎 Deep Dives 🔎
In-depth: Xbox Game Pass & the 'subscriber shuffle' | GameDiscoverCo
Amazon’s introduction of advertising to Prime Video | MobileDevMemo
🌈 Platforms 🏠
Meta’s Horizon Worlds is surprisingly decent on the web and mobile | The Verge
🧠 Knowledge Hub 📘
Brutally Honest #79 | Brutally Honest
Enemy Design in Death of a Wish | GameDeveloper
💲 Fundraising 🤑
Creative Industries unveils new €35m plan to grow UK entertainment sector | GamesIndustry.biz
———
Drop a gg!
GM! It's Tuesday.
News and numbers around India has been flooding the TL. It started with Niko Partner's report on Indian markets worth nearly $900M. Earlier this year India allowed PUBG to reenter its market.
Today, I want to highlight the unique distribution dynamics in India. There are multiple number of alternative app stores such as Indus Appstore, Indus App Bazaar, mSeva, AndroBranch, and many more. Without a dominant leader such as Tencent or NetEase, the Indian market is comprised of fragmented developers all vying for users.
But using superapps are the norm in the India. These superapps could be classified as pseudo app stores too.
Why this is important? 96% of all Indian gamers play on mobile — practically all of the 450M indian gamers.
Also quick callout on our friends over at MobileDevMemo! Eric dropped another hot piece on Amazon Prime Video's new ad network. Ads are becoming a more dominant source of revenue for Amazon. So this move doesn't come as a surprise. The good news is that game developers have another avenue to distrbute their games. FYI there are 200M Amazon Prime subscribers globally and 202M TV units were sold worldwide in 2022. Not saying every TV will have Amazon Prime Video apps AND Amazon Prime subscriptions, so apply your own discounting.
That's it y'all! Have a wonderful day :)
———
India gets another alternative app store with PhonePe’s Indus Appstore | PGBiz
Sensor Tower: Simulation Mobile Games Market in 2023 | GameDev Reports
India gets another alternative app store with PhonePe’s Indus Appstore | PGBiz
In-depth: Xbox Game Pass & the 'subscriber shuffle' | GameDiscoverCo
Amazon’s introduction of advertising to Prime Video | MobileDevMemo
Meta’s Horizon Worlds is surprisingly decent on the web and mobile | The Verge
Brutally Honest #79 | Brutally Honest
Enemy Design in Death of a Wish | GameDeveloper
Creative Industries unveils new €35m plan to grow UK entertainment sector | GamesIndustry.biz
———
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www.pocketgamer.biz
India gets another alternative app store with PhonePe’s Indus Appstore
India’s mobile app market is set to get another alternative app store as financial services PhonePe launches a new storefront. The Indus Appstore is
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Look at Gaming #298 | Wednesday September 27th 2023
GM! It's Wednesday. Happy Hump day.
With all the animus and disappointment in the air regarding Unity and its Runtime Fee, I wanted to highlight that 71% of the biggest mobile games use at least one Unity SDK.
SEVENTY ONE PERCENT
Over 50% of the mobile games on the Top 100 Grossing chart are built on Unity. These games account for $16B in yearly revenue, that's $400M in top line gross to Unity, assuming a Runtime Fee cap at 2.5%. Unity makes $1.8B/yr so this Runtime Fee is a substantial increase.
In other news, Omdia reported that Nintendo Switch players are 5 times LESS likely to buy DLC than PS5 and Xbox players. Haha. Guess Zelda's choice to abandon DLCs is warranted. Also the KPop sensation, NewJeans, will be debuting for League of Legend's Worlds championship — earlier this year Riot said they were trying to revive their esports program because its running at a loss, now we know why, WORTH IT(!!).
Chat with you guys tomorrow.
Also, Hello to all the new subscribers!!! And thanks to all my Day 1 subscribers ❤️❤️❤️
———
⚡ Spotlight 🤩
71% of the biggest mobile games use a Unity SDK | PGBiz
🌊 MARKET 📞
Over 243,000 people attended Tokyo Game Show 2023 | GamesIndustry.biz
SPEEDRUN with a16z's Josh Lu and Andrew Lee | Deconstructor of Fun
💎 Deep Dives 🔎
Omdia: Nintendo Switch users spend 5 times less on DLC than PlayStation and Xbox owners | GameDev Reports
AI Gaming Revolution: Shaping the Future of Play | Deconstructor of Fun
🌈 Platforms 🏠
71% of the biggest mobile games use a Unity SDK | PGBiz
K-pop group NewJeans will perform this year’s League of Legends Worlds anthem | The Verge
✨ Web 3⃣ + Meta 🌐
What Fully On-Chain Games Mean for Gamers & Developers | Naavik
———
Drop a gg!
GM! It's Wednesday. Happy Hump day.
With all the animus and disappointment in the air regarding Unity and its Runtime Fee, I wanted to highlight that 71% of the biggest mobile games use at least one Unity SDK.
SEVENTY ONE PERCENT
Over 50% of the mobile games on the Top 100 Grossing chart are built on Unity. These games account for $16B in yearly revenue, that's $400M in top line gross to Unity, assuming a Runtime Fee cap at 2.5%. Unity makes $1.8B/yr so this Runtime Fee is a substantial increase.
In other news, Omdia reported that Nintendo Switch players are 5 times LESS likely to buy DLC than PS5 and Xbox players. Haha. Guess Zelda's choice to abandon DLCs is warranted. Also the KPop sensation, NewJeans, will be debuting for League of Legend's Worlds championship — earlier this year Riot said they were trying to revive their esports program because its running at a loss, now we know why, WORTH IT(!!).
Chat with you guys tomorrow.
Also, Hello to all the new subscribers!!! And thanks to all my Day 1 subscribers ❤️❤️❤️
———
71% of the biggest mobile games use a Unity SDK | PGBiz
Over 243,000 people attended Tokyo Game Show 2023 | GamesIndustry.biz
SPEEDRUN with a16z's Josh Lu and Andrew Lee | Deconstructor of Fun
Omdia: Nintendo Switch users spend 5 times less on DLC than PlayStation and Xbox owners | GameDev Reports
AI Gaming Revolution: Shaping the Future of Play | Deconstructor of Fun
71% of the biggest mobile games use a Unity SDK | PGBiz
K-pop group NewJeans will perform this year’s League of Legends Worlds anthem | The Verge
What Fully On-Chain Games Mean for Gamers & Developers | Naavik
———
Drop a gg!
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www.pocketgamer.biz
71% of the biggest mobile games use a Unity SDK
Unity’s service is one used by many in the industry, from developers big to small. Of the biggest games, data.ai has identified 71% use at least one Unity SDK.
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Look at Gaming #299 | Thursday September 28th 2023
GM! It's Thursday.
It's a FULL day of headlines. Above the fold is the Meta Connect event, which is Meta (Facebook) annual conference. They unveiled the Meta Quest 3 lineup and a ton of games are on the docket; we also saw Xbox cloud gaming as one of the offerings. The headset will be released on October 10th for $500 with 50 new games and 50 updated games from its catalog.
There's an interesting investment model brought on by Pollen VC and Appodeal, where Pollen VC provides a credit line and Appodeal helps you optimize your UA spend. I like seeing the unbundling of a traditional Publisher's role.
In the legal sphere we have the FTC planning a new in-house hearing for the MSFT-ATVI acquisition case alongside Epic's filing of an appeal to the US Supreme Court against Apple.
Globally, we saw Saudi Arabia investing over $50B into gaming and China approving higher mobile game licenses for September. There's also a report on east Asian video game streaming trends by Niko Partners.
On the platforms side, we had stories about Fortnite increasing the price of V-bucks and Sony PlayStation chief Jim Ryan stepping down next year. Netflix also shared its plan to bring Tomb Raider and Devil May Cry shows to your TV.
Lastly, the new Counter-Strike 2 is out (!!). Hope they have dedust2 or cs_assault!
———
⚡ Spotlight 🤩
Games are a big part of the Meta Quest 3 lineup | GamesBeat
🌊 MARKET 📞
FTC plans new in-house hearing against Microsoft-Activision acquisition | GamesIndustry.biz
Epic files U.S. Supreme Court appeal in Apple antitrust case | The Verge
Saudi Stakes a $50 billion+ claim in the gaming world - Nintendo, Activision, EA & more | PGBiz
Chinese licence approvals are on the up this September, but just how high? | PGBiz
💎 Deep Dives 🔎
BattleBit Remastered: how did it sell millions? | GameDiscoverCo
Peak Play: Trends in east Asian Videogame Streaming H1 2023 | Niko Partners
From ambitious trio to goliath platform: Unity’s 21-year story so far | PGBiz
The Jenga Tower principle in modern performance marketing | MobileDevMemo
🌈 Platforms 🏠
Sony PlayStation chief Jim Ryan to step down in March | Axios
Xbox Cloud Gaming is coming to Meta Quest 3 in December | TechCrunch
Games are a big part of the Meta Quest 3 lineup | GamesBeat
Fortnite V-bucks are about to get more expensive | The Verge
Netflix reveals Tomb Raider, Devil May Cry shows are in the works | GamesBeat
Walmart returns to Roblox after its first games were attacked by consumer advocacy groups | TechCrunch
🧠 Knowledge Hub 📘
Appodeal & Pollen VC partner to offer a new kind of mobile growth platform | PGBiz
Making the most of Monopoly Go's false start | GamesIndustry.biz
💲 Fundraising 🤑
Afference raises $1.5M to develop wearable neural interface platform | GamesBeat
Omada raises $7.5M for a sports game with a twist: tackling gambling addiction | PGBiz
Kyber Knight’s $120M fund will invest in tech startups and games | GamesBeat
👾 Game & Stats Releases 📊
Counter-Strike 2 is out now | The Verge
MapleStory M pulls in $600m in lifetime earnings | GamesIndustry.biz
———
Drop a gg!
GM! It's Thursday.
It's a FULL day of headlines. Above the fold is the Meta Connect event, which is Meta (Facebook) annual conference. They unveiled the Meta Quest 3 lineup and a ton of games are on the docket; we also saw Xbox cloud gaming as one of the offerings. The headset will be released on October 10th for $500 with 50 new games and 50 updated games from its catalog.
There's an interesting investment model brought on by Pollen VC and Appodeal, where Pollen VC provides a credit line and Appodeal helps you optimize your UA spend. I like seeing the unbundling of a traditional Publisher's role.
In the legal sphere we have the FTC planning a new in-house hearing for the MSFT-ATVI acquisition case alongside Epic's filing of an appeal to the US Supreme Court against Apple.
Globally, we saw Saudi Arabia investing over $50B into gaming and China approving higher mobile game licenses for September. There's also a report on east Asian video game streaming trends by Niko Partners.
On the platforms side, we had stories about Fortnite increasing the price of V-bucks and Sony PlayStation chief Jim Ryan stepping down next year. Netflix also shared its plan to bring Tomb Raider and Devil May Cry shows to your TV.
Lastly, the new Counter-Strike 2 is out (!!). Hope they have dedust2 or cs_assault!
———
Games are a big part of the Meta Quest 3 lineup | GamesBeat
FTC plans new in-house hearing against Microsoft-Activision acquisition | GamesIndustry.biz
Epic files U.S. Supreme Court appeal in Apple antitrust case | The Verge
Saudi Stakes a $50 billion+ claim in the gaming world - Nintendo, Activision, EA & more | PGBiz
Chinese licence approvals are on the up this September, but just how high? | PGBiz
BattleBit Remastered: how did it sell millions? | GameDiscoverCo
Peak Play: Trends in east Asian Videogame Streaming H1 2023 | Niko Partners
From ambitious trio to goliath platform: Unity’s 21-year story so far | PGBiz
The Jenga Tower principle in modern performance marketing | MobileDevMemo
Sony PlayStation chief Jim Ryan to step down in March | Axios
Xbox Cloud Gaming is coming to Meta Quest 3 in December | TechCrunch
Games are a big part of the Meta Quest 3 lineup | GamesBeat
Fortnite V-bucks are about to get more expensive | The Verge
Netflix reveals Tomb Raider, Devil May Cry shows are in the works | GamesBeat
Walmart returns to Roblox after its first games were attacked by consumer advocacy groups | TechCrunch
Appodeal & Pollen VC partner to offer a new kind of mobile growth platform | PGBiz
Making the most of Monopoly Go's false start | GamesIndustry.biz
Afference raises $1.5M to develop wearable neural interface platform | GamesBeat
Omada raises $7.5M for a sports game with a twist: tackling gambling addiction | PGBiz
Kyber Knight’s $120M fund will invest in tech startups and games | GamesBeat
Counter-Strike 2 is out now | The Verge
MapleStory M pulls in $600m in lifetime earnings | GamesIndustry.biz
———
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VentureBeat
Games are a big part of the Meta Quest 3 lineup
GamesBeat Next unites gaming industry leaders for exceptional content, networking, and deal-making opportunities. Join us on Oct 23-24 in San Francisco. Register Now When Mark Zuckerberg unveiled the Meta Quest 3 today, he made sure to bring a lot of games…
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Look at Gaming #300 | Friday September 29th 2023
GM! It's Friday.
This is our 3️⃣0️⃣0️⃣th post🤟
Thank you so much for all of your support! Please drop a "300" in the comments today!
Now back to business. We had some news about Meta Connect yesterday and today we're going to keep with the theme. Did you know that Meta owns 4 ad networks for mobile. Granted that's also a reason why Apple's IDFA policy changes had a material impact on Meta's financials.
Per MobileAction's Mobile Ad Trends 2023 Report, here are the number of creatives per ad network on iOS:
- Facebook Native (163k)
- Instagram (161k)
- Facebook (160k)
- Facebook Messenger (159k)
- AdMob (49k)
- Unity (48k)
The ranking are similar for Google Play (Android). Meta is clearly magnitudes larger than its closest competitors. That's why I'm excited whenever I see new ad networks such as those on TikTok, Roblox, Prime Videos, Netflix, etc. Clearly we need more channels for UA.
Have a great weekend everyone! Happy mid-autumn festival, 츄석, and any other holiday you may be observing!
———
⚡ Spotlight 🤩
Meta owns all four of the top ad networks for mobile games in Q2 2023 | PGBiz
🌊 MARKET 📞
Apple isn’t complying with China’s new app store regulations | PGBiz
StreamElements & Rainmaker.gg: State of the game streaming market in August 2023 | GameDevReports
💎 Deep Dives 🔎
Life after FIFA | SuperJoost Playlist
🌈 Platforms 🏠
Epic lays off about 900 people, divests Bandcamp and SuperAwesome | GamesBeat
Meta owns all four of the top ad networks for mobile games in Q2 2023 | PGBiz
✨ Web3⃣ + Meta 🌐
Xbox Goes Crypto? Leaked Microsoft Roadmap Includes Wallet Plans | Decrypt.gg
Join the future of gaming with the Blockchain Game Alliance | GamesBeat
💲 Fundraising 🤑
Luda raises $7M in funding for AI training simulation | GamesBeat
Aug X Labs raises $3.1M to use AI to democratize video production | GamesBeat
Zakazane raises $1M for game studio packed with Eastern European veterans | GamesBeat
👾 Game & Stats Releases 📊
King: Candy Crush Saga's revenue has surpassed the $20 billion mark | GameDevReports
League of Legends: Wild Rift reaches lofty $1 billion across 111 million downloads | PGBiz
———
Drop a 300!!
GM! It's Friday.
This is our 3️⃣0️⃣0️⃣th post
Thank you so much for all of your support! Please drop a "300" in the comments today!
Now back to business. We had some news about Meta Connect yesterday and today we're going to keep with the theme. Did you know that Meta owns 4 ad networks for mobile. Granted that's also a reason why Apple's IDFA policy changes had a material impact on Meta's financials.
Per MobileAction's Mobile Ad Trends 2023 Report, here are the number of creatives per ad network on iOS:
- Facebook Native (163k)
- Instagram (161k)
- Facebook (160k)
- Facebook Messenger (159k)
- AdMob (49k)
- Unity (48k)
The ranking are similar for Google Play (Android). Meta is clearly magnitudes larger than its closest competitors. That's why I'm excited whenever I see new ad networks such as those on TikTok, Roblox, Prime Videos, Netflix, etc. Clearly we need more channels for UA.
Have a great weekend everyone! Happy mid-autumn festival, 츄석, and any other holiday you may be observing!
———
Meta owns all four of the top ad networks for mobile games in Q2 2023 | PGBiz
Apple isn’t complying with China’s new app store regulations | PGBiz
StreamElements & Rainmaker.gg: State of the game streaming market in August 2023 | GameDevReports
Life after FIFA | SuperJoost Playlist
Epic lays off about 900 people, divests Bandcamp and SuperAwesome | GamesBeat
Meta owns all four of the top ad networks for mobile games in Q2 2023 | PGBiz
✨ Web
Xbox Goes Crypto? Leaked Microsoft Roadmap Includes Wallet Plans | Decrypt.gg
Join the future of gaming with the Blockchain Game Alliance | GamesBeat
Luda raises $7M in funding for AI training simulation | GamesBeat
Aug X Labs raises $3.1M to use AI to democratize video production | GamesBeat
Zakazane raises $1M for game studio packed with Eastern European veterans | GamesBeat
King: Candy Crush Saga's revenue has surpassed the $20 billion mark | GameDevReports
League of Legends: Wild Rift reaches lofty $1 billion across 111 million downloads | PGBiz
———
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www.pocketgamer.biz
Meta owns all four of the top ad networks for mobile games in Q2 2023
Advertising is a crucial component of user acquisition and monetisation, and is arguably one of the key factors setting mobile apart from other platforms, al...
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After a brief hiatus, WAGME returns! 🚀
WAGME #20 is live!
Discover the latest on Proof Of Play's massive $33m raise, Ronin's innovative Naming System, Krafton's venture into Web3 with Overdare, the collaboration of Aavegotchi & Sandbox, and a sneak peek into Playmint's Downstream
Thank you for staying with us. Drop a gg and show some love!❤️ 💞
WAGME #20 is live!
Discover the latest on Proof Of Play's massive $33m raise, Ronin's innovative Naming System, Krafton's venture into Web3 with Overdare, the collaboration of Aavegotchi & Sandbox, and a sneak peek into Playmint's Downstream
Thank you for staying with us. Drop a gg and show some love!
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thecoreloop’s Substack
Weekly Alpha Gaming Metaverse Expedition (WAGME) #20 — 29 September
Proof Of Play's $33m raise, Ronin's Naming System, Krafton's foray into Web3 with Overdare, Aavegotchi meets Sandbox and Playmint's preview of Downstream.
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In The Loop w/ Kapital_K (Week 3️⃣9️⃣ of 2023)
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
———
thecoreloop FEATURED PICKS 💖:
• Pet3rpan_ thread on 1kx's Consumer Portfolio — link
• Mobile Dev Memo // Jenga Tower Principle For Performance Marketing — link
• The AIAS Game Maker's Notebook // Conversation w/ Starfield creator Todd Howard — link
• $175.1M Raised. $155M came from 2 funds: Kyber Knight ($120M) and Creative UK ($35M). $8.5M went toward game studios: Luda ($7.5M) and Zakazane ($1.0M). $7.5M went to a social casino app. $1.5M went to wearable interface company Afference. $3.1M to Aug X Labs, an infra project using AI to democratize video production.
———
Check out our Substack for the full newsletter!
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thecoreloop’s Substack
IN THE LOOP with kapital k // W39 of 2023
The only gaming newsletter you need. I curate and aggregate content from across web2 & web3 to deliver it straight to your inbox.
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Look at Gaming #301 | Monday October 2nd 2023
GM! It's Monday.
Just a short one today as I'm still on a mini vacation to Busan for 츄석 (Korean Thanksgiving')!
I'd recommend checking out Brutally Honest's piece on running fake mobile game ads and studying the data.
Will be back tomorrow! Have a good Monday y'all.
———
⚡ Spotlight 🤩
Fake mobile game ads: annoying but effective? | Brutally Honest
🌊 MARKET 📞
Market Wire: Wild Rift hits $1B, China loves MOBAs! | Game Makers
A time of departures | GamesBeat
Mass games industry job losses in 2023, but is the end in sight? | PGBiz
The gaming and esports industry needs to start taking mobile esports more seriously | PGBiz
💎 Deep Dives 🔎
Gaming Forecast: Trends in Video Game Industry, Devices & Content Ownership | Kevuru Games
Best Selling Video Games of All Times | Kevuru Games
Haptic Technology | Konvoy Ventures
🧠 Knowledge Hub 📘
How Candivore’s Match Masters Innovates in Match 3 | Naavik
Fake mobile game ads: annoying but effective? | Brutally Honest
👾 Game & Stats Releases 📊
Township celebrates its 10th Anniversary - Playrix shares key figures $2.1B Revenue | GameDev Reports
———
Drop a gg!
GM! It's Monday.
Just a short one today as I'm still on a mini vacation to Busan for 츄석 (Korean Thanksgiving')!
I'd recommend checking out Brutally Honest's piece on running fake mobile game ads and studying the data.
Will be back tomorrow! Have a good Monday y'all.
———
Fake mobile game ads: annoying but effective? | Brutally Honest
Market Wire: Wild Rift hits $1B, China loves MOBAs! | Game Makers
A time of departures | GamesBeat
Mass games industry job losses in 2023, but is the end in sight? | PGBiz
The gaming and esports industry needs to start taking mobile esports more seriously | PGBiz
Gaming Forecast: Trends in Video Game Industry, Devices & Content Ownership | Kevuru Games
Best Selling Video Games of All Times | Kevuru Games
Haptic Technology | Konvoy Ventures
How Candivore’s Match Masters Innovates in Match 3 | Naavik
Fake mobile game ads: annoying but effective? | Brutally Honest
Township celebrates its 10th Anniversary - Playrix shares key figures $2.1B Revenue | GameDev Reports
———
Drop a gg!
Please open Telegram to view this post
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Substack
Fake mobile game ads: annoying but effective?
Fake ads are annoying more people: but the results are shocking...
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Look at Gaming #302 | Tuesday October 3rd 2023
GM! It's Tuesday.
Back and at it! Hope everyone's is rested and ready.💊
On October 5th, Samsung will launch its Game Launcher on Galaxy phones. This cloud gaming service isn't like the one that's on the Samsung TVs. The Game Launcher app on the TV is an aggregation of all the different cloud gaming service providers like Amazon Luna, Xbox Cloud, Amazon Luna, etc..
The Game Launcher on Galaxy phones will be entirely operated by Samsung. Another difference is that instead of offering PC/Console titles, Samsung is optimizing for mobile titles. Why?
If you've ran UA before then you know that even after a user clicks on your ad, there's a high chance they might not even make it to your game. The Game Launcher eliminates the need for an app store, therefore reducing friction of installing and registering.
The player is launched directly into the game.
Guess that's why it's called Game Launcher. 🤔
In other news, X is launching Twitch-like functions and Honkai: Star Rails is opening up restaurants IRL.
Catch you guys tomorrow!
———
⚡ Spotlight 🤩
Samsung will reportedly bring its game streaming service out of beta this week | The Verge
💎 Deep Dives 🔎
Most PC games gross <$1,000: should we be worried? | GameDiscoverCo
Why investors hate content risk and how to overcome it | Game Stuff
Tile Match: The new Match-3 or the new Merge? | Deconstructor of Fun
🌈 Platforms 🏠
Blizzard says it’s building ‘revitalized’ Overwatch esports after OWL season ends | The Verge
Elon Musk Livestreams Diablo IV on Twitter to Show Off Twitch-Like Feature | Decrypt.gg
Samsung will reportedly bring its game streaming service out of beta this week | The Verge
🧠 Knowledge Hub 📘
Brutally Honest #80 -- How to pick Ad Partners & Ad Libraries| Brutally Honest
👾 Game & Stats Releases 📊
Why 'Game Over' is the best part of the game | Axios
Honkai: Star Rail goes IRL: Collaborating with famous restaurant chains around the world | PGBiz
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Drop a gg
GM! It's Tuesday.
Back and at it! Hope everyone's is rested and ready.
On October 5th, Samsung will launch its Game Launcher on Galaxy phones. This cloud gaming service isn't like the one that's on the Samsung TVs. The Game Launcher app on the TV is an aggregation of all the different cloud gaming service providers like Amazon Luna, Xbox Cloud, Amazon Luna, etc..
The Game Launcher on Galaxy phones will be entirely operated by Samsung. Another difference is that instead of offering PC/Console titles, Samsung is optimizing for mobile titles. Why?
If you've ran UA before then you know that even after a user clicks on your ad, there's a high chance they might not even make it to your game. The Game Launcher eliminates the need for an app store, therefore reducing friction of installing and registering.
The player is launched directly into the game.
Guess that's why it's called Game Launcher. 🤔
In other news, X is launching Twitch-like functions and Honkai: Star Rails is opening up restaurants IRL.
Catch you guys tomorrow!
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Samsung will reportedly bring its game streaming service out of beta this week | The Verge
Most PC games gross <$1,000: should we be worried? | GameDiscoverCo
Why investors hate content risk and how to overcome it | Game Stuff
Tile Match: The new Match-3 or the new Merge? | Deconstructor of Fun
Blizzard says it’s building ‘revitalized’ Overwatch esports after OWL season ends | The Verge
Elon Musk Livestreams Diablo IV on Twitter to Show Off Twitch-Like Feature | Decrypt.gg
Samsung will reportedly bring its game streaming service out of beta this week | The Verge
Brutally Honest #80 -- How to pick Ad Partners & Ad Libraries| Brutally Honest
Why 'Game Over' is the best part of the game | Axios
Honkai: Star Rail goes IRL: Collaborating with famous restaurant chains around the world | PGBiz
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The Verge
Samsung will reportedly bring its game streaming service out of beta this week
It’s spooky season, and everyone wants a trip to the graveyard.
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Look at Gaming #303 | Wednesday October 4th 2023
GM! It's Wednesday.
E, T, M, A, and ESRB. You may not be familiar with these letters but I'm sure you can hear that voice that says, "Rated E for Everyone."
The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) is a nonprofit established in 1994 by the Entertainment Software Association to set a standard on gaming content in the US. This association comprises of all the big names such as EA, Epic Games, Konami, Krafton, and from Tencent to Take-Two. The ESRB is essentially a Self-Regulatory Organization (SRO). It has the power to create and enforce industry standards and professional regulations.
Why am I talking about these boring ratings?
Epic Games is introducing an Age and Content ratings system to Fortnite next month.
As Fortnite transforms from a game to an ecosystem, third-party creators are required to complete a questionnaire about their game's content and accessibility. The International Age Rating Coalition (IARC) — effectively the global counterpart of the ESRB — will lead this effort. The rating will be submitted and reviewed by Epic Games moderators then clearly display prior to accessing the Fortnite Islands.
This has huge implications. As more games opt for this UGC platformatization route, there will be hundreds of thousands if not millions of these UGC experiences. Roblox alone has like 40 million experiences.
I remember when I built Roblox games back in 2020, there were TONS of IP Infringements but Apple (or any platform for that matter) couldn't implement its policies since it was impossible to enforce. But with this "regulated" policy by a global and industry-wide organization, these UGC platforms will be placed under extra scrutiny.
And I couldn't have asked for a better segue as a new Barbie Dreamhouse experience is launched on Roblox today. Gamefam studio and Mattel will bring Barbie into the blocky world of Roblox. The game will officially kick off on October 6th. What rating should this game get?
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⚡ Spotlight 🤩
Fortnite brings in-game age ratings to player-made content | GameDeveloper
🌊 MARKET 📞
Apple's App Store steps into line to comply with Chinese regulations | PGBiz
data.ai: State of the mobile market in Q3 2023 | GameDev Reports
💎 Deep Dives 🔎
Unity: Change or Die! | GameMakers
Discoverability as a Productivity Problem | SystemTalk
Search defaults and the economics of search advertising revenue sharing | MobileDevMemo
🌈 Platforms 🏠
Gamefam brings Barbie and her Dreamhouse to Roblox | GamesBeat
Fortnite brings in-game age ratings to player-made content | GameDeveloper
🧠 Knowledge Hub 📘
Witch Beam co-founder Sanatana Mishra explains how to interpret feedback from public demos | GameDeveloper
Pistol Shrimp and the importance of owning what you make | GamesIndustry.biz
💲 Fundraising 🤑
Sad Cat raises $5M for retro action-platformer Replaced | GamesBeat
———
Drop a gg!
GM! It's Wednesday.
E, T, M, A, and ESRB. You may not be familiar with these letters but I'm sure you can hear that voice that says, "Rated E for Everyone."
The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) is a nonprofit established in 1994 by the Entertainment Software Association to set a standard on gaming content in the US. This association comprises of all the big names such as EA, Epic Games, Konami, Krafton, and from Tencent to Take-Two. The ESRB is essentially a Self-Regulatory Organization (SRO). It has the power to create and enforce industry standards and professional regulations.
Why am I talking about these boring ratings?
Epic Games is introducing an Age and Content ratings system to Fortnite next month.
As Fortnite transforms from a game to an ecosystem, third-party creators are required to complete a questionnaire about their game's content and accessibility. The International Age Rating Coalition (IARC) — effectively the global counterpart of the ESRB — will lead this effort. The rating will be submitted and reviewed by Epic Games moderators then clearly display prior to accessing the Fortnite Islands.
This has huge implications. As more games opt for this UGC platformatization route, there will be hundreds of thousands if not millions of these UGC experiences. Roblox alone has like 40 million experiences.
I remember when I built Roblox games back in 2020, there were TONS of IP Infringements but Apple (or any platform for that matter) couldn't implement its policies since it was impossible to enforce. But with this "regulated" policy by a global and industry-wide organization, these UGC platforms will be placed under extra scrutiny.
And I couldn't have asked for a better segue as a new Barbie Dreamhouse experience is launched on Roblox today. Gamefam studio and Mattel will bring Barbie into the blocky world of Roblox. The game will officially kick off on October 6th. What rating should this game get?
———
Fortnite brings in-game age ratings to player-made content | GameDeveloper
Apple's App Store steps into line to comply with Chinese regulations | PGBiz
data.ai: State of the mobile market in Q3 2023 | GameDev Reports
Unity: Change or Die! | GameMakers
Discoverability as a Productivity Problem | SystemTalk
Search defaults and the economics of search advertising revenue sharing | MobileDevMemo
Gamefam brings Barbie and her Dreamhouse to Roblox | GamesBeat
Fortnite brings in-game age ratings to player-made content | GameDeveloper
Witch Beam co-founder Sanatana Mishra explains how to interpret feedback from public demos | GameDeveloper
Pistol Shrimp and the importance of owning what you make | GamesIndustry.biz
Sad Cat raises $5M for retro action-platformer Replaced | GamesBeat
———
Drop a gg!
Please open Telegram to view this post
VIEW IN TELEGRAM
Game Developer
Fortnite brings in-game age ratings to player-made content
Players who make and release Fortnite islands to be shared with the larger community will have to make sure it's secured an age rating from the IARC.
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