Game7’s Post

Pontus Mahler 🔜 G-Star, co-founder of Agora Gaming Partners, shared his insights on the current challenges in the gaming industry, trends, and their causes during the podcast The Gaming Playbook. I really resonated with his thoughts; I see the situation in a similar light. After COVID - The pandemic accelerated the growth of the gaming industry, leading to a sharp increase in salaries and competition. High sales and remote work have "overheated" the market. Now, as the market normalizes, companies are facing high costs and intense competition. - Many new studios have struggled to become financially stable. - Salaries and budgets are decreasing to more sustainable levels. - Developers now need to invest more of their own funds to bring projects to later stages before seeking investments. Shifts in Investment Strategies for Mobile Games - Previously, investors were willing to fund mobile games based only on descriptions. Now, they expect metrics from early launches and tests, making it harder for newcomers to secure funding. - Some mobile investors are shifting their focus to PC and console games due to issues in the mobile sector. Funding for PC and Console Games - Investors today expect a demo or at least the first 30% of a game. - 60% of publishers are ready to invest up to $1 million, but only 10-20% can commit $2-10 million. This trend complicates the search for funding for AA and AAA projects. Differences Between Publishers and Venture Capitalists (VC) - VCs look for a return on investment of at least x10 to cover risks, which is unlikely for the gaming industry in the medium term. - Publishers expect around x3 returns, making them more suitable for most developers, especially studios with budgets of $2-4 million. Angel Investing - Angel investors are willing to invest smaller amounts ($10k-$50k) with a long-term outlook. Angel funding can support projects with budgets up to $500k-$1M, but selling a stake in the studio remains essential. General Advice for Game Developers - Focusing on specific countries can be more effective than trying to reach a global audience. Success in one region can bring in millions. - Transparency and honesty with partners, especially regarding development issues or delays, are crucial. - Attend major conferences to expand your network. - Clearly outline budget requirements and be honest about the project's status. Create lists of potential investors and tailor presentations for each. - Think not only about how to get funding but also about revenue sharing terms.

Compliance and Production managers truly are the unsung heroes of the #boardgame industry! They work hard to make sure our games are always safe, high-quality, and affordable. For this episode of Talkin' Shop with The Op, we sat down with Wynona to learn some tips and tricks for navigating this complex process!

We are excited to see that our friend, Dom Matthews of Ninja Theory, in conversation with Adam Orth of Digital Sunrise in this edition of the "Game Maker's Notebook". In the clip below, Dom and Adam discuss a roundtable (one attended by our own Daryl Ogden) that was held at DICE Europe on "Continuous Improvement in Your Teams". Dom explains that Ninja Theory not only pursues continuous improvement of their games, but by embracing a culture of candid feedback, seeks to build the skills and mindsets that make a better team. #gamemaking #workplaceculture #continuousimprovement https://lnkd.in/gN828zht

**NEW VIRTUAL ECONOMY PODCAST EPISODE** The AAA Video Game Industry is in Freefall (News Show) Triple-A game development as we know it is unsustainable. It doesn't matter if a game succeeds or fails, the corporate machine is grinding developers up and spitting them out by the thousands. Things need to change. https://lnkd.in/eqAyRYid

Who else wants to volunteer to test new slot machines? 👋 SVP of Global Product for IGT, Domenico Pastia, discusses how new games are developed, tested, and more in this interview with URComped CEO, Craig Shacklett. Once a game idea is pitched, it doesn't magically appear on a casino floor. If it passes their product team review, it goes into development and is exposed to a player focus group. Players provide feedback on quality, experience, and how well it connects. This information is analyzed and incorporated by a dedicated research team before the game goes to market. Link to full interview and podcast in the comments.

Indie game development isn’t just about making memorable experiences for players, it’s also about balancing iteration with long-term sustainability to keep creativity alive. In today's episode, Tyler Glaiel makes it pretty clear that the right strategies can help maintain your creative spark while evolving projects and preventing burnout along the way. In this episode, we uncover: - How to maintain creativity over the long haul. - Ways to evolve your development process to foster innovation. - Key strategies to avoid burnout while sustaining progress. So tune in and listen now: https://lnkd.in/gNVdYYqp #indiedev #gamedesign #gameindustry #indiegames #gamedev #gamemarketing #gamebusiness

Bittersweet – Blake Robbins and Mitch Lasky just wrapped up another season of Game Craft. Whether you are in the business of games or thinking about investing in the space, I can't recommend this show highly enough. My favorite episodes from this season are: Episode 9: Why is game industry currently in the doldrums?  Episode 10: How financing for games work: Bootstrapping vs Publisher or Venture. Episode 14: Distribution, how to get your games in to the hands of the gamer. Episode 16: How will Ai impact the games, a no-nonsense discussion, pleasantly free of hyperbole.  https://lnkd.in/eY9Ee3Ub

Hey friends, I need a hand! We're trying to find tabletop gaming content creators - especially outside the wargaming space - who are interested/willing to have us join them for a show (livestream, podcast, interview, whatevs) to help promote the project & answer any Q's ppl might have Tag folks below pls! (note to professional spambots - we're not paying to appear on someone's show that's unrelated to gaming, and we're not really looking for videogamers, who are outside the scope of this project 😎 )

In this recent interview clip, Nick Ippolito, Player Development Mentor AKA "The Host Whisperer," discusses with URComped CEO, Craig Shacklett, how player development has been giving table players the short end of the stick. They dive into how tiers and marketing have always been built around slot players, and what are the next steps to improve the casinos' relationship with their table games players. Link to full interview and podcast in the comments.

𝗦𝗽𝗼𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗿: 𝗪𝗲𝗯 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻'𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘂𝗲 (𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗮 𝟮𝟬-𝟯𝟬% 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗵𝘂𝗿𝘁!) ICYMI, our CMO, Gil Tov-Ly, joined 👊 👊 Joseph Kim on the GameMakers podcast to talk about the real value web stores bring to mobile games. Beyond revenue, it’s about direct connections with players, control over data, and driving long-term success. Curious? The full episode is in the comments! 🎧